CAVEAT: We have permission from both the parent and the teen to share this story, but we have redacted any names and other particulars to protect their privacy. We should also note that our services to this parent and teen were done pro bono.
Last night, a concerned parent reached out to us, driven by a protective instinct, as she sensed potential danger involving their older teenage child. This older teen has achieved significant success as a TikTok and Instagram influencer, generating substantial income through their online presence. After reviewing the teens social media, we were super impressed with the talent of this teen, and we mean super impressed!
In early December, the teen received an online message from an individual, whom we’ll refer to as Jim. Jim claimed to represent a multi-billion-dollar product company, which he we was a significant shareholder in. Jim further expressed admiration for the teen’s social media content and proposed a collaboration. As the weeks unfolded, Jim presented the teen influencer with seemingly authentic documentation about their identity and the company they purportedly represented, creating an appearance of legitimacy that could convince most people of the genuineness of this opportunity.
Jim verified that he intended to send a representative from his company to Canada for a face-to-face meeting with the teen. Subsequently, both would then travel to California to facilitate a professional photoshoot spanning over three days. To bolster his assurances, Jim shared authentic screen captures, not fabricated ones, of the confirmed booking at a five-star hotel in Los Angeles where the photoshoot was to take place.
Additionally, it’s noteworthy that the teen engaged in phone conversations with Jim over the course of several days, during which they posed numerous questions to validate the legitimacy of the offer, given they were somewhat suspicious to start with, but became more comfortable as discussions continued. Jim was able to effectively answer all questions that we asked by the teen. At this juncture, the concerned parent reached out to us, seeking assistance. Despite lacking concrete evidence, their visceral concern persisted, prompting them to seek help amid the unsettling suspicion that something untoward was going to transpire.
Based on the information provided by the parent, we initiated an online investigation. Despite confirming the legitimacy of the company with the given details, our scrutiny revealed a notable absence of any mention on their website or other social media platforms regarding the recruitment of human models for brand promotion. A thorough examination of their official website, Instagram, and YouTube revealed a conspicuous absence of male models showcasing their products. Moreover, in certain promotional materials, the male models featured were consistently in the 40+ age range, aligning with the expected clientele for their products.
Remarkably, there was no promotional content depicting teens or young adults, except for a campaign approximately seven years ago. There were some noteworthy exceptions which included renowned sports, music, and Hollywood celebrities who had been showcased wearing the company’s products.
We also confirmed with one of our extended family members, who was in the modelling profession internationally, that a reputable multi-million-dollar company typically engages exclusively with professional and well-established modeling agencies for their promotional materials. Additionally, we confirmed that if their son were to pursue modeling opportunities in the USA and receive any form of financial compensation, it would necessitate obtaining an American working visa first. Something this teen did not have, nor did Jim mention that the teen would need before travelling to the US.
In light of the above-mentioned concerns, we, too, began to harbor suspicions and Jim’s true identity, and decided to reach out to the parent this morning seeking permission to speak directly with their teenager to get more information about Jim. The parent revealed that they had informed their child about our involvement, which understandably sparked some displeasure with their teen. Despite this, the parent agreed to facilitate the conversation with their teen.
During our discussion with the teenager, they acknowledged the potential risks and, in light of our findings so far that we shared with them, expressed a willingness to provide any information that could further aid in our investigation. Consequently, the teen shared the following details that we asked for:
• Jim’s Instagram account
• Jim’s cellphone number
• Two email addresses associated with Jim
• Screen captures of all email exchanges with Jim
• Hotel booking confirmation receipts for Los Angeles
With this new information we dug back into our investigation and here’s what we learned:
- Jim’s Instagram account was clearly a “sockpuppet” (fake account) lots of followers, lots of following, but only 1 posting. You would think that such a successful recruiter would have hundreds if not thousands of posting on their Instagram account. Warning flag #1
- Jim’s cellphone number came back to a location somewhere in France, but yet he told the teen that he lived in Hong Kong. Warning flag #2
- The two email addresses that Jim was using, although similar to the multi-billion-dollar company, were in fact slightly different. It was clear he created spoofed email accounts as a part of his pretext. Warning flag #3
- Signatures in the two emails, and the office held, were fictious and did not exist in the actual multi-billion-dollar company. Warning flag #4
- The multi-billion-dollar company in question is a privately owned family business that did not offer shares, yet Jim stated he was a significant shareholder. Warning flag #5
- Given that the teen was able to provide us with the receipts for the hotel booking in Los Angeles, we were able to locate a confirmation number as well as the PIN#. We phoned the hotel directly and asked to confirm that the booking was valid. They confirmed that there was a booking, but it had been cancelled by the hotel given that the credit card used was an invalid credit card. Jim used a third party to book the room and not the hotel itself. Warning flag #6, and the icing on the cake.
Based on this new information, we once again reached out to the parent and engaged in a conversation with both them and their child. During this discussion, we conveyed our informed belief that the accumulated evidence we had uncovered strongly suggested the individual in question was not authentic, raising concerns of a potential setup, likely for a financial crime targeting the teenager. In light of this, our recommendation was to cease all communication with Jim and take proactive measures such as blocking and deleting him on all the teen’s social media platforms.
Once again, it’s crucial to underscore the proficiency of this fraudster in their deceptive tactics that were very well executed. We believe that even adults could have fallen victim to Jim’s pretext given their skill and approach. Despite the teenager conducting their own due diligence, it highlights that even the most knowledgeable individual can still be susceptible to these online criminals.
For all the parents, caregivers, and guardians who follow us, this serves as a poignant illustration of the importance of trusting your instincts. When your inner voice signals danger, it’s essential to pay heed — a survival instinct ingrained in us through millions of years of evolution. Even if your child may not align with your perspectives and decisions, being their best parent, rather than their best friend, is paramount. At times, taking actions and making decisions that may not be well-received by your children is part and parcel of fulfilling the role of a parent. That is what the parent did in this situation, they acted on their intuition – a big tip of our white hat to them for doing so!
Also, for parents, caregivers, and guardians overseeing teens on their journey to becoming successful influencers and earning a substantial income, it’s advisable to explore the option of engaging with an “influencer agency.” Platforms like https://grin.co/blog/understanding-influencer-marketing-cost/ or https://www.aspire.io/ come highly recommended by another established online influencer we are familiar with.
Utilizing such agencies can serve as a protective measure in mediating potential incidents such as the one that spawned in this posting. This recommendation gains significance considering our analysis of messages from Jim to the teen, where he repeatedly inquired about the presence of an agency possibly working with the teen, which, in this case, was absent and thus why the teen likely became a viable target.
This incident serves as a stark reminder of the deceptive tactics employed by online fraudsters, exemplified by the intricate scheme and pretext orchestrated by the individual known as Jim. This well-executed ploy targeted a successful teenage influencer, emphasizing the need for heightened vigilance, especially in the onlife world.
The parent’s swift and intuitive response played a crucial role in unveiling the potential danger and preventing a financial crime, or even something worse, that targeted their teen. We commend the parent for acting on their instincts and encourage all parents, caregivers, and guardians to prioritize their protective role as a parent.
This incident underscores the importance of maintaining a proactive and vigilant approach in safeguarding our teens against sophisticated online threats, and the appropriateness of acting based upon parental instinct even when your child may not want you to.
Digital Food For Thought
The White Hatter
