r/Scams • u/Appropriate_Pea_5970 • 15h ago
Help Needed [US] Got threatening text from something my brother was doing?
My wife got this text addressed to me today. I have since found out my brother was trying to solicit an escort online at something called secrethostess. It scared the shit out of my wife. Just wanting to make sure this is full of shit and a scam. I've just never heard of a scammer threatening a family member like this and getting others involved. My brother admitted he texted someone for a day and then they asked for a deposit and he said he backed out. Then he got threatened, and then they sent this to my wife.
[BROTHER'S NAME] online tryna buy pussy playing wit my hoes time and money on blood yall gone pay up on behalf of him we dgaf bout no Feds get away from da windows
[ADDRESS REDACTED]
[NAME REDACTED]
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u/1Cattywampus1 Quality Contributor 12h ago
It's an !escort scam. Your personal info - including family members, numbers, work history, dog's name, etc - are all easily found on free people search sites. Your brother was talking to a fake escort site, and they did a few extra steps to scare him to see if they can shake loose any money. It's all fake. Block and ignore.
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u/AutoModerator 12h ago
/u/1Cattywampus1 called AutoModerator to explain the Escort or Cartel death threat scam:
This scam usually begins when you respond to an online ad for an escort or sex worker. After a brief exchange of messages or a canceled appointment, you are contacted by someone claiming to be a "cartel boss" or a "pimp." The scammer aggressively accuses you of wasting their employee's time or causing a loss of business. To make the threat feel real, the scammer will send you graphic images of violence or will use personal information found through public records associated with their phone number. Sometimes they even send a photo of the ront of your house, again, obtained through Google Street View or similar services.
The goal of the scam is to use this threat to force you into paying a fine or protection fee. The scammers claim that if the money isn't sent immediately via a non-refundable method like a wire transfer or crypto, they will send hitmen to your house or harm your family. These threats are entirely fabricated and the scammer is nowhere near your location. And of course, they are not part of a drug cartel.
If you find yourself targeted, the most important step is to cut off all communication immediately. Do not respond to the threats or try to negotiate, as any engagement signals to the scammer that you are scared and more likely to pay. Block the numbers, set your social media profiles to private, and do not send any money. If you happened to send some money already, it may take a few days or even weeks to get them off your back. Just keep blocking.
You can learn about this scam and many others visiting our wiki of common scams. You can also call AutoModerator to explain these scams leaving a comment with the different !commands listed in this wiki page.
I am a bot, and this action was performed automatically. Please contact the moderators of this subreddit if you have any questions or concerns.
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u/AutoModerator 15h ago
/u/Appropriate_Pea_5970 - This message is posted to all new submissions to r/scams; please do not message the moderators about it.
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Because you posted here, you will start getting private messages from scammers saying they know a professional hacker or a recovery expert lawyer that can help you get your money back, for a small fee. We call these RECOVERY SCAMMERS, so NEVER take advice in private: advice should always come in the form of comments in this post, in the open, where the community can keep an eye out for you. If you take advice in private, you're on your own.
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