Names, screenshots, and all have been changed/altered and blurred for safety reasons.
Instagram is a massively popular platform for all kinds of things. Whether it’s viral videos, clickbait makeup hacks, or #instapoetry, you can find almost anything there. Even those of the sugar persuasion.
A few days ago, I was leisurely browsing Instagram when I got a message request. It was from an older gentleman, whose profile picture had him holding bundles of money. He offered me $5000 a week to be his sugar baby. In return, he just wanted someone trustworthy and sweet and to talk to him. He would even support rent, school, etc.
Roger (name altered) said he just wanted to support me and began to ask where I lived, what I was doing, if I was working. I asked him how he found me and he said through looking through profiles and he liked my page and all. He asked me if I was in need of financial help and I gave it some thought.
I was saving up for grad school and all, and thinking of moving into my own place. So it seemed very tempting. According to him, he didn’t require any nudes or any pictures of that kind of nature and that all he wanted was someone to talk to. That he was blessed with more than enough to be able to share it and so why not share it with young, beautiful women who needed it, right?
All he needed, according to him, was my Paypal and he would transfer the money. And he began to share stories of how he helped motherless kids and other women who needed help and all. He started sending me videos and screenshots of women thanking him.
And I was touched.
Up until he started explaining why he did it and called me by a different name.
“I’m doing this from the goodness of my own heart, Hannah (name altered).” And I thought to myself: Um, that’s not my name. But I let it slide and continued to ask him questions.
Okay, I started. So how does the money work?
Then this was where all the red flags began to spring up.
He said: “Well, I need you to get an amazon card first.” I asked him why. He said his business is hooked up there and that’s how he makes his payments to his babies. I questioned him, knowing he mentioned Paypal just minutes ago. He said that after he confirms the card, he can confirm Paypal.
A quick google search later and I know that that’s not true. Some more extensive research and it shows that fake sugar daddies use this gift card scam to get money little by little by offering a huge sum in return. In essence, you end up being charged for the gift card rather than him and then they get away with it.
So I pushed on, eager to expose this guy as a scammer. I asked him if things were legitimate and he kept trying to reassure me and said he hated when people didn’t trust him.
Eventually, he called me Hannah* again and I questioned him about it. He tried to redirect the conversation and all by saying you’re so beautiful, please be my baby, and I told him straight up I thought he was a scammer.
He feigned offense and said to forget it.
Anyway, all this to say–be careful on IG, ladies and gentlemen. There are some people out there with some less than savory motivations. Do your research about sugar daddy scams and all–there are lots of videos on it, as well as articles. It’s how I learned not to just blindly believe the overly-generous $5000 offer.
Be careful out there!
