IN HER OWN WORDS...
• Scammer •
- - - - -
https://www.instagram.com/kingston_casillas/
KINGSTON CASILLAS
If it had started with, “Hello, Beautiful” back in August 2021, I wouldn’t have a story to share with you now, almost a year and a half later.
But the first interaction went like this -
“Your dog is cute.”
“Thanks.”
And back to my regularly scheduled life programming.
Every few weeks or even every couple months, an innocuous statement from who I came to know as “Kingston Casillas” or “KC” for short, followed by a polite response from me.
Nothing in those interactions tripped an alarm. Nothing, even his Instagram profile, raised a red flag. And slowly, over 14 months, he wormed his way past my fortifications moved from “potential internet weirdo” to “online acquaintance I’ll talk to”.
And the hooks were in. Not deep; but deep enough to draw a little blood.
We talked about our kids, our states, our jobs, our families. We joked about our ages and shared pictures of our lives.
I know enough not to hand out some information, but predators are predators for a reason—they’re good at stalking and getting information they can use anyway. And Scammers are predators, make no mistake.
KC never asked for money, though he did offer to give me the information on his financial advisor.
I politely declined; I have my own.
But he offered again, then again. And for some reason, THAT raised a yellow flag.
So I started talking to my sister and friend. Between us we’re in technology fields, true crime junkies, and are suspicious minds. We listed what we thought were green flags (he gave me his phone number, for example. That seemed green) and what we think might be, if not red, at least orange. Like the fact that he wouldn’t call or answer mine.
We did have a 30 second voice call that didn’t do anything but make me more suspicious.
Then I noticed other things, things that made me feel like I was being the jerk. Little inconsistencies in his story — was his son school age or not? Was he in the city or out in the woods? If his network has been down all day, how was he online 2 hours ago and why didn’t he just switch to cell data? Stupid things.
I called my sister and my friend and said, “I think I’m being catfished.”
I was.
We took the pictures he’d sent me, and all the tangible information we had, got on a zoom call and went to work. It took a little digging — the phone number wasn’t tied to the US even though it was a California area code. His name didn’t appear ANYWHERE on the internet except Instagram. But a reverse image lookup on one of the pictures finally pinged a real person.
That poor guy. He’s just as much a victim in all this as I am. And while my current situation is coming to a close, he will be revictimized over and over as these predators reuse his picture in future scams.
But back to KC and me for a second. I asked him about the stolen pictures. His first response was, “they come from my brand account. I wanted to wait until we were together to explain all this too you.”
That really didn’t pass the so called sniff test.
Then he told me he was in the secret service stationed in east Africa. I couldn’t hit the “block” button fast enough. Though he slipped one last message through to me… he was going to kill himself because I’m heartless and broke his heart.
KC in his Kingston Casillas identity is no longer on Instagram thanks to the work of the ScamHaters United, I reached out to. They worked fast to remove that head of the hydra. They also helped me with practical advice on protecting my identity from being used or stolen as well as emotional support.
Because this was traumatic. This guy spent over a year making me like and trust him. In the click of a mouse I lost someone I thought was a friend. I hit the grief switch hard.
I also felt like a weapons-grade fool. I was humiliated and embarrassed because I’m not stupid. I’m not gullible. I’m not unaware of the world, especially the online world.
Yet here I am.
My advice for you, if you’re a fellow victim or think you might be.
Listen to your gut
Remind yourself that you did nothing wrong; nothing to deserve this
Definitely remind yourself that your self-worth comes only from you. Don’t feel less than or let others make you feel less than because you were targeted by a predator
Talk to someone
You will get through this
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Reply from SHU...
Just had a little check and they have brought a new one on to Instagram.. it won't last long.
Thank you for telling it in your words. Ity always means more when it is the way YOU felt and YOUR emotions.
Some things never to forget
''Listen to your gut'' ALWAYS .. your heart and even your head will tell you lies.. your GUT is never wrong!
'I also felt like a weapons-grade fool. I was humiliated and embarrassed because I’m not stupid.''
Don't! A victim is no fool. In fact just the opposite. They did this to you
YOU WOULD NOT DO THIS TO ANYONE ! So why think anyone would do it to you!
Be nicer to yourself! You deserve it.
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