By Chongchen Saelee
Oh, tonight was a frustrating waste of time. I chatted for nearly 2 hours with “someone”. It was supposedly a real local woman looking for a casual encounter on Craigslist. Usually, I can detect these easily because there are tell-tale signs, but I was inclined to believe this person was a local because she looked local in her pics. Anyway, it didn’t get anywhere. So let me share with you poor saps how to spot a fake post on Craigslist or Backpage anyway. It’s the least I can do.
1. Poor spelling, grammar, non-sensical text and images
There might be automated links injected into nonsensical auto generated sentences. There might be font characters that aren’t encoded properly. There might be images that are ads themselves.
2. Image quality and detail
If the woman isn’t the same one across all the images in the same post, odds are it’s not a real post. You’re looking to get swindled in what is called a “bait and switch”. You get baited with an attractive woman (or slight look-a-like) only to meet up with DMX in drag or some pimps looking to rob you. Be keen about being able to spot what a real woman looks like in a picture. Usually, the photos aren’t professionally shot, or the woman is not model material. She looks “normal”. I can’t describe it. You have to just know how to spot this.
You can also do a reverse-image search using Tin Eye or Google Image Search. If the picture belongs to a supermodel or teen idol, odds are, she’s not on Craigslist or Backpage looking to hook up with your pathetic ass. (I can dream though, but I’m also not stupid)
3. Tone, writing style is same as others, or trying too hard
If a second-party, or third-party, other than the person in the post is trying to sell you (or scam you), they will try to write in a cartoony way, or stereotypical way that they perceive or believe how their dummy model should speak. For example, if the scammer is trying to sell you that it’s a hot teen, he’ll use leet or slang or try to sound hip and urban. And if the scammer is trying to sound more sultry, she’ll throw in “hun” here and there. Real escorts come from all over, so in an attempt to sound regional (relative to the Midwest or South anyway), it comes off as a clear indicator that the personal isn’t regional at all.
Also, some cops are no-nonsense and very concise. They communicate with very short words and are blunt. Try to envision if the lady in the picture speaks like that, speaks like a cop, and you should be able to spot a fake.
And since there are so many repeat ads, some just the same escort but posing under multiple aliases, they all are written with the same tone or style of speech. If the escort is writing it herself, she can’t help it. If it’s her pimp or agency, then they can’t help it either. They are literally trying to “sell” the same woman as multiple women, so they can’t change the descriptions too much.
4. Keep track of your contacts
Hey, now you can play cop on your own. If you keep track of who you communicate with, you’ll start to notice overlap. You learn to become a profiler yourself. Be keen about it, and you’ll be able to spot the same people over and over and see how big or small the ring really is.
5. When in doubt, ask
Seriously. If you are genuine about meeting a woman, it never hurts to ask. If you are hesitant that she may be a crossdressor, transsexual, cop trying to entrap you, a pimp trying to rob you, it never hurts to ask. Just do it in a smart and polite way. If the person is genuine, they’re thinking the same thing about you, and there might be a mutual understanding, so that might increase your chances of meeting a real genuine person.
However, I do have to warn you there are things you should never talk about when communicating with escorts that may get you in trouble with the law. That, I leave to you to find out on your own. There are forums that are more blunt and explicit about it. Hopefully, you’ll have enough gumption to figure it out on your own.
6. Check other dating sites
This might go against the reverse-image search rule, but if the woman is really local, then she’d probably have an online dating profile on other sites. Granted that the same rules apply there for detecting fakes, if you can deduce that she’s real on say Plentyoffish, then odds are she may be real on Craigslist or Backpage.
7. Use your best thinking
Don’t think with your penis. Use your brain. It is true there are people out there trying to get the best of you. But that doesn’t mean you don’t deserve not to meet someone special online who is genuine.
And those are just some of the things off the top of my head. Be safe. Meet someone genuine. Get laid. Become better men in the process. Hope this helps.
Tags: advice, backpage, casual encounter, characteristics, craigslist, dating, how to, online, sex, signs, spot a fake
Another good idea is to buy a cheap flip phone and use that as your hobbyist phone. Calling escorts from your real cell phone or home phone is not a good idea as if it does turn out to be a pimp or a cop or someone who doesn’t like you, by having your real phone number they can track you down pretty easily. A flip phone and some minutes can be bought for less than $50. Trust me when I tell you that the investment is very much worth the cost.
You mean a burner? Haha. You guys are new to this, I can tell.
You don’t buy a burner..you purchase the burner app. Google it