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Thanks AI
Listen to this mystery.
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At
Crestwood High, where everyone knows everyone else’s
business,
junior Mia Torres was the queen of sarcasm and meme-worthy comebacks. Her best friends, Danny Chang, the tech whiz, and Ava Patel, the hopeless romantic, rounded out their trio of mischief-makers. One day, Ava introduced Mia to FlareMatch, an app for making "real connections." “You should try it,” Ava said, scrolling through potential matches. “It’s like swiping on fate. Even the algorithm knows your soulmate’s out there!” Mia snorted. “More like swiping on disaster. But, sure, sign me up. What’s the worst that could happen?” As she said it, Ava smirked and leaned in. “You know that’s how every true-crime podcast starts, right?” A few days later, Mia matched with someone named Alex_1997. His profile was perfect—too perfect. He liked hiking, indie films, and pineapple pizza (a point Mia was willing to overlook). “He’s cute,” Ava said, peering at the screen. “I bet he’s the outdoorsy type who secretly writes poetry.” Danny raised an eyebrow. “His profile pic looks like it came from a stock photo website. Just saying.” Ignoring Danny’s skepticism, Mia struck up a conversation with Alex. He was charming, funny, and seemed to really get her. They bonded over sarcastic takes on the latest Marvel movie and shared playlists. After a week of messaging, Alex mentioned he needed a small favor. “I’m trying to get tickets for this underground concert,” Alex texted. “My bank’s acting up, and the tickets might sell out. Any chance you could help? I’ll pay you back, promise.” Mia hesitated but figured $50 wasn’t much for someone who seemed so genuine. She sent the money through a payment app, feeling a small twinge of unease. The next day, Alex stopped responding. Mia’s texts went unanswered, and when she tried to check his profile, it had vanished. “Told you,” Danny said, shaking his head. “You got catfished. Classic move.” “Okay, but why would someone go through all that trouble for fifty bucks?” Ava asked, popping a piece of gum. “That’s barely enough for one of those concert hoodies.” Danny leaned back in his chair. “It’s not about the amount. Scammers use small asks to build trust. Next thing you know, they’re draining your savings. Or worse.” Mia groaned. “Fantastic. I just bought a ticket to the idiot train.” For a moment, Mia sat alone in her room, staring at her phone. The humiliation of being duped replayed in her mind, each message from Alex now feeling like a red flag she had ignored. She wondered if Danny was right—maybe she was too naive. But then, a spark of anger flared. Why should someone like Alex get away with this? She might’ve made a mistake, but she wasn’t going to let him take advantage of anyone else. Determined to uncover the truth, Mia enlisted Danny’s help. He hacked—err, “explored”—Alex’s digital trail while Ava offered moral support (and snacks). “Gotcha!” Danny exclaimed. “His profile pic is linked to a dozen fake accounts. This guy’s a professional scammer.” “So, what do we do?” Mia asked, feeling a mix of anger and embarrassment. Danny grinned. “We set a trap.” Using a fake profile, Mia and Danny baited Alex into messaging them. The planning session itself became an event. "Okay, we need a name," Danny said, leaning back with his laptop. "Something sophisticated but approachable." "How about Sophia Montclair? Sounds classy," Ava suggested, twirling a pen. "Perfect," Mia agreed. "Now for the hobbies. Let’s make her artsy. Maybe she does pottery or... no, better—she’s a boutique candle maker." Danny laughed. "Of course. She handcrafts candles inspired by European cities. Throw in a rescue cat for extra charm." Mia rolled her eyes but typed it in anyway. "And she’s definitely an Instagram aesthetic queen. What picture should we use?" Ava scrolled through her phone. "How about this one? She’s got that perfect mix of mysterious and approachable." "Sold," Danny said, uploading the photo. "Now, for the bio: ‘Candle maker, coffee lover, and wanderer at heart. Looking for someone who can match my vibe.’ Cheesy enough?" "Absolutely," Mia said, grinning. "Let’s see if he takes the bait." Posing as “Sophia,” they crafted the ultimate too-good-to-be-true persona. “Should I add that I’m a famous influencer?” Mia joked as she uploaded a heavily filtered selfie. “No, we’re keeping it believable,” Danny replied. “But definitely mention a trust fund. Scammers can’t resist that.” Alex fell for it. Within days, he was asking “Sophia” for money, claiming his dog needed emergency surgery. This time, Danny traced Alex’s payment request to an IP address in a nearby city. “Wait, who lies about a dog?” Ava asked, shaking her head. “That’s like villain-level evil.” “We’ve got him,” Danny said triumphantly. “The net is closing.” Mia reported Alex to the app and the local police, providing all the evidence Danny had gathered. As she sat in the police station, clutching her phone, a mix of emotions overwhelmed her—embarrassment, anger, and a surprising sense of determination. "I should’ve seen it coming," she admitted to the officer taking her statement. "Don’t be too hard on yourself," the officer replied. "These scammers are good at what they do. What matters is that you’re stepping up now." When she left the station, Mia felt lighter. The guilt that had weighed her down all week was replaced by a quiet pride. "At least I’m doing something about it," she thought, texting Danny and Ava, "Report filed. The cops were impressed by our tech skills!" The app’s developers thanked her and promised to tighten their security measures. Meanwhile, Mia’s experience became the talk of the school. Ava turned it into a cautionary tale during lunch. “The moral of the story,” Ava said, “is never trust anyone who likes pineapple on pizza.” Danny smirked. “And maybe don’t send money to strangers online.” A week later, Mia got a call from the police. They had tracked down Alex and uncovered a network of scammers. Her efforts had helped shut them down. “You’re officially a hero,” Ava said, dramatically clasping her hands. “I’m putting that in the group chat.” Mia rolled her eyes. “More like officially never downloading a dating app again.” Danny grinned. “Good call. Besides, who needs online dating when you’ve got us?” As the three of them laughed, Mia realized the experience hadn’t just taught her to be cautious online. It had reminded her how lucky she was to have friends who always had her back. |
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