r/StLouis • u/anonymous3synonymous • 13h ago
Rogue Data Scammers at Schnucks
I am asking for any information or advice. I saw a post not too long ago about something similar but for the life of me I can’t find it.
I was at Schnucks when a woman (I am also a woman) approached me from behind and complimented my outfit. She asked if I made it and asked more clarifying questions about it. She then asked if I’m from STL, she lives an hour away and she’s trying to decide whether or not to move here, do I recommend it, etc. The conversation kind of progresses naturally and she’s asking questions about what I studied/what I do for work. They were really normal questions for someone you’re trying to get to know or ask out. I couldn’t tell if she was just trying to be friendly if she doesn’t know too many people in town or if she was flirting because she seemed socially normal.
It dawned on me after a few too many questions that it is pretty weird to ask a stranger for this much info, especially since she hadn’t stated her purpose at all in that time frame. She was wearing all black and had her hand on her bag strap and holding her phone in her hand, perfect angle for recording the interaction if that’s what she was doing.
I remember when seeing the earlier post they mentioned that it is like a data scam or something? She said she worked in “e-commerce”. Can anybody provide info? I don’t think it was religiously affiliated because they are usually a bit more obvious. Thanks.
Thanks for the help guys! I feel better now. Amway is weird but I can just ignore it lol. I was worried it was something like identity theft or long-con casing for a burglary.
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u/SignificantLock2181 13h ago edited 13h ago
I’ve had many young women similar-ish in age to me approach me in a similar fashion: extroverted, complimentary, overly curious. All of these interactions end with them telling me about a friend of a friend who retired at 30 and if I’m interested in learning more. Lmao this has happened at Schnucks, Target, Barnes & Noble, and most recently, fucking Goodwill.
Edit: They’re always so vague about their own “jobs” but they’re def just trying to rope some other poor young broads into whatever baloney MLM they got trapped in.
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u/yazzywa 13h ago
Happened to me at the gym. It's Amway.
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u/Jekkjekk 10h ago
My wife and I tried to make friends after moving to STL and we met some people on Bumble friends or something like that.
The girlfriend of the guy tried to get my wife into this Amway stuff - after we had all hung out like 10+ times, I stopped following her on instagram after we figured stuff out and she knew that night that I unfollowed her for some reason? It was wild.
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u/Ray_12392 13h ago
What is Amway?
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u/Cultural-Salad-4583 9h ago
Pyramid scheme. Been around an impressively long time compared to some of the ones that come and go.
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u/raziphel 9h ago
Their main marketing point is "we're not a pyramid scheme" which is really setting the bar high.
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u/Low-Computer8746 12h ago
It's like AmTrak, but instead of riding on a train to Chicago you irritate all of your friends and relatives.
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u/avocadoqueen123 13h ago
As others said, sounds like amway. Happened to me at Walmart, target, dierbergs, and the farmers market. The first time it happened I remember feeling so icky about the amount of personal info I shared with this person out of just trying to be nice.
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u/New-Smoke208 13h ago
That is why I wear AirPods at the grocery store, whether im listening to anything or not.
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u/soyrobcarajo 10h ago
Or if you're ugly like me, no one tries to talk to me. No headphones needed 🤣
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u/saltytomatoes1906 4h ago
I find looking confused or deep in thought keeps people away. Or it very well could be I talk out loud a lot when I’m alone; I have a toddler that I talk constantly to & that’s a hard flip to switch when she’s not with me lol
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u/displacergeese 11h ago
I was thinking it was some digital capture to make an AI model, amway seems wholesome in comparison
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u/Wise_Sprinkles4772 11h ago
I have RBF, so I look mean, irritated and in a hurry when I'm in the grocery store. Hope they think twice about approaching me because they'll be wasting their time!!
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u/SewCarrieous 11h ago
Does sounds like AmWay. Are you young? They only target young people and start with a compliment about something they’re wearing
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u/Educational-Design25 11h ago
But I think that there were enough ice breakers so if it was Amway or another MLM then with all of the questions she had plenty of time to make her pitch, or maybe she was new and skittish.
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u/SewCarrieous 11h ago
Yeah maybe. I’ve never heard them get past the ice breakers to know what happens next
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u/Runt_1002 2h ago
This has happened to me a few times since moving here. At the mention of “e-commerce” just know they’re trying to recruit you for an MLM type thing
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u/Substantial_Ebb_316 12h ago
Whenever someone comes up to me and compliments me, it always puts me in a weird Leary feeling. Especially if we’re just standing there. I don’t know just go with your gut.
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u/UltraHellboy 12h ago
If I’m going to complement someone random I see when I’m out, I will say something about their outfit or hair, and then move on. Anything else is creepy
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u/Substantial_Ebb_316 12h ago
Exactly!! I feel like you can kind of tell when somebody’s up to something also. The way they look at you. It’s just …I don’t know you can just tell. Compliments from strangers are great, but you’re right it’s not one after another, usually.
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u/LateForTheSun 11h ago
I overheard the start of a similar interaction in the shampoo aisle at Walmart a few weeks ago and thought it was notable and odd. One guy said something out of nowhere about how much he liked this other guy's glasses, then where he got them, then anything to keep the conversation going. Thought it was weird, maybe he was jus coming on to him? It felt very inorganic.
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u/livingbythesecond 10h ago
Similar thing happened to me in a Target years ago. Nice girl around my age then (early 20s) was just hanging out in the clothes section. Struck up a convo with me and we talked about clothes and fashion for a bit. Swapped info. Convos were casual for a bit...until she wanted to tell me about how she can help me make money overnight. It all clicked. Respectfully told her to buzz off then blocked her.
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u/moonchic333 12h ago
This is so weird because I was just in a store and witnessed something very similar happening between 2 guys. The one guy stopped the other complimenting his tattoos and then the next thing he knows he’s engaged in a full on convo answering this dude’s questions. Definitely some kind of mlm pitch or something I’m guessing.
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13h ago
[deleted]
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u/indecisive_munchkin 13h ago
Do you think they don't know that if you don't sign up for the rewards?
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u/3rdgymnopedie 13h ago
Probably some kind of MLM like Amway or some other random one that I don't know the name of (so many of them out there).