Strange personal messages

My Nigerian Prince seems to have dumped me😩

mokryna

I had a strange one from San Francisco last week, I reported it. It was questioning me about my grocery shopping and what kind of shoes I buy.

Your grocery shopping can signal you're shopping and cooking for one; and a great deal about your social , financial and health status.

The kind of shoes and older woman buys/wears are an indicator of health, fitness, social activity and mobility.

I had messages from Chestersmiles too. I searched and as there was no history of posts on GN, ignored him/her.

All/most of us who post on the Good morning thread say where we are posting from, in other posts we say where we are visiting nearby, we talk about our families,our general doings.
Some post about their homes, indicating wealth in some cases, some being lonely and vulnerable.

I am seriously concerned now.
So concerned I am going to consider every post I make.
I am furious that someone can make me feel so ill at ease and scared.

Usedtobeblonde

I am going to confess to replying to Chestersmiles.
I now wonder if I should block him, it all seemed so very innocent but I did say I was concerned about giving out personal information to a stranger.
He replied that he totally understood my concern and was very old fashioned about such matters.
Am I being drawn into a cult, will I be talked into the white slave trade at 89?
Will I be asked to send 1000’s of dollars?
Seriously though is a con?

You've been charmed by a conman who targets old ladies online . Online, he can imitate the charm and manners of an oldfashioned gentlemen.

However, "used to be blonde" suggest your hair is now grey or white; age range reveal. "Gransnet"; confirmation of social status.

Potentially a frail elderly widow living alone; owns a valuable property and healthy bank account. After a bit more gentlemanly charm and reassurance, could easily reveal either her own or family members full names, ages/birth/marriage/death dates/ location. Making all an ideal target for ID theft.

Or he could just sell your details online; "daft old dear , easy victim/target for knockers, or a break-in".

In my reply I didnot sign with my name, only Regards.
I did make a reference to my region but no detail as to where in the area and gave no other personal information, my original post to which he referred contained the information that I am a widow, but that is all.

Marydoll

^I am fairly sure it’s a foot fetishised.^.

Mine was also about shoes. 🤣

Mine was about shortbread. Can you be a shortbread fetishist, I wonder?

Another GN member ( a real one) told me that a search on GN for Chestersmiles said that it was the name of a former user.

Like you, mokryna, I haven't had the quick response I was expecting from GNHQ. However, I've never reported a PM before, so maybe they don't respond to that in the same way as they do to a reported post.

If everyone reports Csmiles the the name will be blocked… in time another to pop up. However, GN has not confirmed it is in receipt of my report, yet, in its usual rapid response.

Chestersmiles sent me a pm asking why I liked sketchers Toms shoes .I posted a photo of them on the show us your shoes thread.He asked what it was about them that I liked.🤷‍♀️I did not respond.

Just because they said they were from San Francisco does not mean they are.

It could be Trevor from Leicester.

Esmay

Oh dear !
I was asked about going barefoot - a reference to a post about shoes .
I thought that it was genuine .
And answered.
They were very formal and polite.
We talked about animals ,art and gardening.
I did wonder ...
Now I know.

I hope you didn't give away your real name, location, email address etc.

Hand raised! I too was sucked in briefly

I am going to confess to replying to Chestersmiles.
I now wonder if I should block him, it all seemed so very innocent but I did say I was concerned about giving out personal information to a stranger.
He replied that he totally understood my concern and was very old fashioned about such matters.
Am I being drawn into a cult, will I be talked into the white slave trade at 89?
Will I be asked to send 1000’s of dollars?
Seriously though is a con?

Oh dear !
I was asked about going barefoot - a reference to a post about shoes .
I thought that it was genuine .
And answered.
They were very formal and polite.
We talked about animals ,art and gardening.
I did wonder ...
Now I know.

mokryna

Yes, it was Chestersmiles. Did you report it as it is as if an unofficial source has managed to get into our posts.

Not "unofficial " at all.

Anybody in the world can read GN thread without being a registered member of GN.

Only registered members of GN can post messages, and use the PM button to send a private message to another registered poster. So the response you got from GN, tells you that Chestersmiles was/ has been a registered member.

From this thread, its clear Chestersmiles has targeted certain posters.

There are no doubt many "registered members of GN " who never post; but because they are official registered members they CAN use the GN search facility . With that, they can track every poster's history on GN. Search for words of special interest ( euthenasia/ widow/ meeting / mental health / Cumbria/ shoes, then use PM to "befriend" selected posters who match their target group.

For sure, any suspect first approach via PM will be completely inoffensive/ innocent/harmless and reassuring. For instance, mentioning that they are in SF, safely 6000 miles away.....

After 3 weeks hiking in Canada my feet would cure him/her immediately.

I am fairly sure it’s a foot fetishised..

Mine was also about shoes. 🤣

Yes I had the San Francisco one, I checked it out and he/she has posted but only once I think.

I am fairly sure it’s a foot fetishised.

I also had one from chestersmiles after I complimented Witzend on her creations.
He asked what items I made.
I didn't respond and deleted it.

I had the San Francisco one.

Commenting on my answer to a post.

I didn’t respond, and blocked it.

Scammers wind you in with innocuous messages.

I was trained to be suspicious of unsolicited messages.
I trust no-one. 😉

Mine from him/ her was about shoes. Pretty harmless and not offensive. I just ignored it.

Chestersmiles praised my patio cleaning. Just ignored them

I will report now.

I have blocked and reported.