Gay British Backpacker On Being Catfished On Grindr In The Australian Outback
Image: TikTok Screenshot
A British backpacker has shared his account of being catfished on Grindr while working in a remote town in the Northern Territory.
In a series of posts to TikTok, Olly Lewis, 26, shared the epic story.
Bored In The ‘Middle Of Nowhere’
“I thought catfishing was just something that happened on scripted reality TV shows or to people who just aren’t very internet savvy, but no it has actually just happened to me,” he said, setting up the story.
Lewis decided to download Grindr because he was bored, “literally in a desert in the middle of nowhere.”
Lewis explained, “Unsurprisingly” there were about 4 people online.
Eventually, one person with a blank profile messages him.
Messaged By ‘Handsome Gym Boy’
After chatting for a little, the blank profile sends Lewis a photo, which he recognises as this “really handsome” guy he sees all the time at the gym.
Weeks go by with them messaging each other regularly, still not having met in person.
“He starts opening up to me about his job and what he’s looking for,” Lewis said.
However, at this point, things start to get “unhinged.”
“He starts telling me that he doesn’t really want me to message other people and even starts mentioning marriage,” Lewis said.
Lewis recalled one time when handsome gym boy starts talking about “sizing up my ring.”
“I thought he was being sexual…but no, he was actually talking about a wedding ring.”
@ollytedlewis I got catfished and its been a wild ride. #catfished #quarterlifecrisis #sos ♬ original sound – olly
Decided To Go For It
Still not having met in person, Lewis continued to see handsome gym boy out and about, but he never acknowledges Lewis.
After a party one night, Lewis decided to go for it and just say hi in person.
He knocked on handsome gym boy’s door and said, “Hey, do you want to hang out for a bit?
“He looks me dead in the eyes, says ‘no’, and then slams the door in my face.”
Confused, Lewis confronted handsome gym boy on Grindr, asking why he didn’t want to hang out last night.
He apologised and said he was just tired from working late.
@ollytedlewis Replying to @Olly Lewis ♬ original sound – olly
Days later, while eating lunch with friends, Lewis sees handsome gym boy sitting three tables away.
Just then, he gets a Grindr notification from handsome gym boy.
Location: 1km away.
‘My Face Just Drops’
“My face just drops and I have this moment of realization,” Lewis said. “It’s not him that I’m speaking to!”
Lewis decided to confront the catfish on Grindr, saying “I don’t know if you are who you say you are.”
Eventually, catfish owns up to it and sends Lewis an expiring photo, showing that he, in actuality, is one of Lewis’s colleagues.
@ollytedlewis Replying to @S. here’s part 5 of my catfishing journey. its been emotional 🐈⬛ 🐡 #catfish ♬ original sound – olly
Any lessons learned by Lewis? “I’m not going to trust anyone on social media from now on,” he concluded.
