10:25 I snuck into the like button’s house and stole all of its left socks for you! Love the videos, very immersive storytelling. Thanks for keeping us entertained. 💕
Watching you has litterally got me sober, I watched it all night, for almost 2 weeks while I went through withdrawl. Withdrawl is HELL. Your stories and voice kept me sane, I couldnt even SEE stright, but I could hear. when I felt like I was going to die I just listened to you. So thank you.
I've been sober for a year and 15 days. I'll never drink again. I can't. I finally realized it. Keep at it! It's absolutely worth it. My very best wishes to you. 🤠👍
@@Silver-Sliver thank you!! And congrats to you on your sobriety, it's a HUGE deal!!! I have been a heroin addict for 7 years. I'm just over living like this. I had no support and did it alone, my family has no clue I was doing drugs.... I'm over the worst of it now, 2 weeks of pure hell. Still feel yucky, but not nearly as bad as I did. Withdrawl is pure torture. It is my worst fear. Hopefully I beat it for good!!
@@sophiedexterabby I did it on my own as well. I got 'scared sober'. No support but my own fierce disgust at my behavior and teeth gritting willpower. I didn't want to look back in 5 years and think, 'if only I'd stopped THEN'. I drink tons of coffee, lol 😆 and have my own 'do this instead of that' rituals. It's much easier now, but I'll always be recovering. I can't afford to forget it, and that's A-OK. I don't know you, but I'm proud of you! Yeehaw! 🤎
I feel like this should be common sense, but for everyone out there: A FIRST DATE SHOULD ALWAYS BE IN A PUBLIC PLACE WHERE OTHERS CAN SEE YOU ‼️ IF SOMEONE INSISTS ON BEING IN A SECLUDED PLACE *DONT GO* ‼️ PLEASE BE SAFE ‼️
@@jamesallen5591 hmmm... i don't know man. Plenty of movies and tv episodes that cover things like this. On another note, It's a tactic for a car to block your front, and another to block your rear at a regular traffic light. That part of his story reminded me of just that.
Once they asked for a "female friend" I would have been suspicious. Although the story raises a good point: if you get invited somewhere by a company, it would be easy enough to search for and contact said company online, just to be on the safe side.
Don't contact them via online. Pick up the phone and CALL the actual place. There are thousands of travel scams out there, some of which are trafficking, some just time share cons and some legit. I'm a travel agent so I get tons of these offers. The real ones always say bring your husband or partner along, mainly because they want both of you there to send you on a six hour tour of their property and then pressure you to invest. Just skip them, but if you don't CALL the property itself!
I remember a story a few years back where an Airline Employee stopped two young girls trying to buy plane tickets for some type of "modeling" opportunity.
I had a friend gush to me how a party planner reached out to her through social media and invited her to do an all expense paid night in Chicago. She would just have to meet at this studio apartment to get hair nails etc done. Take pre party pictures and have drinks. Then the whole group of 15 girls would go to The Berkshire Room. It was meant to be for publicity and marketing pictures. I questioned it and asked why a super high end place would have someone contact her from outside their organization, also not provide a name of the person at the bar thatis helping organize it. She got what I was saying. Another friend encouraged her to call the bar and verify this was a legit event they were hosting. Well low and behold it wasn't. We never found out how many young women were reached out to for this scam. And it makes me sick that if someone falls for it they could be walking into a trap to be raped or trafficked. Please please please be careful out there. Always verify and ask questions.
@@Tomos_J-J my friend who was contacted did. They tried to investigate. Was a burner phone and no exact address of the meeting spot was given because she didn't fully commit to it. I never heard anything after that so I assume she didn't hear anything from the police either.
My ex wife told me one day that she got approached at a mall by a guy claiming to be a photographer and model scout. I was not shocked as she was pretty and all but I told her to arrange to meet in a very public place, they agreed and she showed up and the guy tried to get her to go to a hotel room. She was heart broken but went home . I think she could have been killed or trafficked.
Omg I live in Chicago and there have been Craigslist posts every few months of someone offering a "party hostess gig" for one night each month that would pay around $5k for the gig and that the hostess has to be a young pretty female. It never says the company name or any info at all other than the high pay and you have to be pretty young female. I always think it is so sus and would be scared to even contact them. I hope whoever keeps posting it isn't actually evil but wtf still I thought of that when you mentioned Chicago. People are crazy out here
@@user-jc5ll1rx3f I live here too. Super scary. Please be careful! Between the car jackings, armed robberies, people going missing, etc. This is just another thing to add to the list of why I don't go out anymore.
Wow. That last story just reinforces for me all the times my parents warned, "If it sounds too good to be true, it likely is." So glad none of her female friends could go with her.
I'm sure there are plenty of other girls this has happened to, who didn't have a Mitch to protect them. Dozens, hundreds, who knows. Human trafficking is huge and no country in the world is not touched by it in some way. This is the story of one girl who got supremely lucky, where thousands have not.
The problem is, this is actually a legitimate thing that is often given to influencers. Hotels will definitely pay for people with large followings to come to their hotel in exchange for posting pictures to Instagram. It often has better results than traditional marketing campaigns, and is much cheaper. So that's what makes this scam so clever. The "fake" account having over 10k followers makes it seem legitimate too, so the only real way to avoid the scam was to independently verify everything by contacting someone at the hotel directly
As a woman, when I joined Tinder I had four main rules: 1. First date, or even first few dates, are always public, and never too late at night. 2. Never gave out my phone number on the app until I met them in person. Even then, if it was a "nah", they didn't get my number. 3. I would send the guy's info to my friend and would have a time for her to expect me to text her after the date. 4. I always carried. Without exception. Always look out for yourself, even if you're a man.
Yet guys are the ones who usually get catfished not women. Dating apps are way more dangerous for men. Not to mention the quality of women has dropped to an all time low thanks to womanism, most guys are single these days and happy
@@BlazeBuds My post wasn't about catfishing, it was about safety. I stated before, and now again, both men and women should be careful when meeting with any person on the internet. Catfishing isn't "dangerous" if its only in terms of the woman's looks. Is it bad, yes, but I wouldn't say dangerous. At most you just wasted your time. You could call off the date and go home. That's what my boyfriend did for a couple dates before he met me. It wasn't dangerous. Women are more in danger meeting up with men just because of the biological strength differences. My firearm was my equalizer if it ever came to that. Luckily nothing did, but there were more than a few creepy guys messaging me, I just never gave them the opportunity to meet. My rules could easily be applied to men as well, I'm just talking from the perspective of a woman. My boyfriend also carried during dates because he is military/security. It was actually a funny bonding moment for us.
Omg get off tinder. Save yourself. Before I got married and worked I would drive to work at like 6am. So at like 5:30 am I would see tons of handsome single men there every morning. Def would be heading there if I was single. Or breakfast place near a fire house! Or police station! They all go there all the time. Go at the same time every week. Same with grocery stores! Look at people and smile! Makes you seem willing to be spoke to! All the men at my work (I am the only woman to ever work at my company, very physically hard job so women never apply) were afraid to talk to women because they said they think they’ll accuse them of sexual harassment. It’s so sad
@@Heavyisthecrown But... if men are afraid to approach women for that fear how would it be conducive for me to hang out around single men? I'm already off Tinder. I've been with my boyfriend for a year now. We talked about this issue a lot. Sadly in this day and age it is extremely rare any guy will approach any girl. Like you said, and I agree, so many men are afraid and so many women toss around accusations too freely. I'm not disagreeing with you, but the likelihood of being approached is extremely low. Women usually have to be the ones to approach now.
Really surprised the girl in Miami didn’t realize immediately when they freaked out about where is the other girl that it was a trafficking scam. Dangerously naive.
Quite strange because internet crime is easy to solve. It can help a criminal in the short turn but you leave a digital fingerprint easy to trace by police.
@@richardgomez1151 Unless the perpetrator uses throwaway phones and public Wi-fi. And tracing takes time. If the perpetrators move fast enough, and if the police don't have enough resources, it can devolve into a game of cat-and-mouse where the perpetrator is always one step away from getting caught, but never does.
A very similar situation happened to me, I was modeling and a “photographer” reached out about a all expense paid photo shoot, the only catch was I needed to go solo or bring *specifically* a female friend, when I said I’d be accompanied by my fiancé they tried to shut it down saying “having other guys around will mess up the shoot” exc. needless to say that was a huge red flag and I did not pursue the shoot any further & I reported the conversation. Keep your eyes open ladies!
I'm so sorry that happened to you and that this happens to women. So terrible. Glad nothing bad happened to you! Please be careful gl to you and your fiance!
Yep I live near Atlanta and guys like this are everywhere. Plenty of gigs my girlfriend had to turn down cause too many red flags. As soon as a photographer says no guys at the shoot that's a huge red flag. And with the movie industry being big in Georgia plenty of fake directors and producers claiming they'll make you famous but all a con to get you. I always tell my female friends don't be stupid these guys know the game and will tell you anything you want to hear, meanwhile their plotting to rape you, kill you, sell you as a sex slave, chasing fame or money isn't worth you losing your life. Stay safe people. #commonsense
As a child, I learned that when people are upset with your presence the first thing you can do to fix it is leaving. This followed me into adulthood and has inadvertently spared me more than once from being the victim of various assaults and possibly also human trafficking. My best advice to people who feel uncomfortable by someone's negative reaction to you is to leave immediately. They can't do something to you with their hostility, anger, negativity, or violence if you're not there anymore.
@@daianaxi1295 That they “endangered THEMSELVES their whole life”. Watch what you’re saying. Why are you so quick to jump at someone like that? Just please stop.
The fact that they told her to ONLY invite a female friend shoulda been enough to ask questions... Most girl her age would wanna take their boyfriend to something like that... Red flags flying all around scary shit man ..
Very late comment: But thank you for bringing trafficking up and reminding people how serious it can be. My friend and I were out to eat once in a city I used to live in in the winter time, and some lady came in and sat by us asking if we'd give her a ride to her boyfriends house just on the other side of the interstate because she was "cold" (this was only like 3-4 blocks away)... we felt off about the situation, said our friend dropped us off and was coming back for us so we "didnt have a vehicle" and offered her a lyft and I offered her my gloves, she was VERY upset about this and grabbed my gloves and stormed out of the building and we never saw her again. We warned the employees as they have young females working and the interstate is a quick easy get away in trafficking situations. It really is a scary situation.
stories like yours makes me appreciate being male. i think I'd be too dumb to have a vagina. being in control of a vehicle would make me feel like nothing could go wrong
also to maybe defend the girl in the situation a bit, if people somehow got hold of the hotel's old Instagram account, or at least recreated it, it probably looked pretty legit. Still, she probably should have done more fact-checking...
As a father of an 18 year old boy, I can only hope in this day and age of “likes” “friends” “followers” etc...that these teens and young adults understand how dangerous the internet can be. I’ve been preaching to my son forever but always have concern cause these predators can be real good. This video should be labeled under “education” and shown on different platforms to reach that audience. Good work sir as usual!
I'm surprised Wendy didn't realize the trafficking set up when the guy kept asking about the other girl. If it wasn't for her friend Mitch, she'd probably be gone forever......
Definitely! Thank goodness none of the women she asked said they'd go... and Mitch did! There must have been guardian angels looking out for them! I mean how many people would pass up a free 1st class trip like that?
anybody that asks/ Tells you to meet then at a Mystery Motel in the Middle of Nowhere and Tells you NOT to Tells anybody where your Going or the name of the person your Meeting
As soon as he said the two cops came back to Derek in the squad car acting a bit off, I was seriously expecting them to pull out pipes just as Leah and the caretaker stepped up next to them as all four say together, “now give us your wallet”.
"Girl outta your league" "Creepy road" "Mysterious Van" "Middle of Nowhere, at night" .....how obvious does it need to be? Glad he brought his gun though.
If the photo looked too good I'm thinking old photo or beauty filter! Don't know about the road thing, as often the best spots are off the beaten track. Not so much the van, but her reaction to the situation. Well they were star gazing, so a bit hard to see the stars during the day.
as a mother of 2 girls, out of all the stories you've told, this last on, with this girl who was "given" a trip to Miami for her and "another girlfriend" was to me THE MOST TERRIFYING EVER. Thank you for the heads up
It's the same thing as when you get a call from the IRS, the bank, whatever, saying there's a problem and you need to do something to fix it. Listen to them, politely tell them you're busy right now but you can call them back in about 10-15 minutes to talk, and get their name and phone number. Then immediately look up the real number for the IRS or bank or whatever, call them, and confirm with them that they really are trying to contact you about a problem. Cold calling someone and getting them to believe you are who you say you are is one of the oldest cons in the book. Automatically assume any call/IM/SMS/email you receive from a stranger is a scam, until proven otherwise.
I don't know how anyone has the balls to try internet dating. In the back of my mind I would be constantly questioning the validity of everything they said, not to mention whether or not that picture really is of THEM. It's also so much easier to bullshit when you aren't face to face. Bring back REAL dating. PLEASE. It's way more fun and a lot less risky.
@@loulabelle5082 In your own words, how do you bring back REAL dating? Also, you must be a millennial or a boomer bc you don’t sound like current generation’s kid at all.
You should definitely do more videos about internet pitfalls and scams. You're so informative and your audience loves and trusts you as a source and inspiration to continue to learn. It's a great opportunity for education, it's become so common during quarantine I'm sure Google is bursting with stories.
Believe it or not I was scammed out of about a thousand dollars over a puppy that didn't exist during covid. I was in a vulnerable spot in life, it was heartbreaking stuff, felt like a total idiot. I just don't want those awful experiences for other people. I don't have a platform so I wish others talked about it more for the sake of getting the word out to other vulnerable folks.
I once went to a job interview with an ex girlfriend, when we arrived it felt weird because it was at an office complex but there was only about 4 car's there. I felt terrible because I had to use the bathroom when we got there so I went in with her I remember the embarrassing look on her face because I was fully dressed in my construction gear. When I got out of the bathroom I seen a look on her face of panic and fear so I hurried to her she said come on now! I figured she was mad at me so I didn't question we just left she wouldn't talk at first then we got about a mile down the road and she told me the interviewer gave her the chills and that once she went in the back the scene and vibe wasn't one of an interview it felt more like an examination and none of the people in the back would speak English they weighed her asked her blood type then the phone ring and the guy interviewing her got mad and asked why did she bring someone and then got real shifty so she stood up and bailed. I honestly didn't think anything of it but we coincidentally had to bring her son to the doctors a week later and his doctors office is about a mile down the road and that specific shopping the interview was in had a domino's pizza near by so we stopped and got a pizza we both had the same idea🤔💭 let's drive to the interview spot, we pull up there no cars in the lot at all we both walk up to the glass the place was empty. A sudden chill came through my body and I could hear her whisper thank you for being here that day😯 man talk about being scared after the fact🤐 this was in Rockville, MD 2014
Mitch literally saved her life. I need a friend like this who will show me things that I failed to see myself. He went with her, told her they should go to the hotel and ask, told her to let the police know. 👏👏👏
@@agauerm You should try to use it too. You need a mind to put yourself in others pov and see what they were thinking and the possibilities. When people are in a state where they're shoked, embarrassed and feeling like shit, they fail to see things they were supposed to. Emotions affect your brain
The fact he jumped out the car with his flashlight at the start and the van dude was like 'Oh-ho you're approaching me?!', they should have known he was too much for them.
@@Josh_728 Not to mention the fact the cop said he had to drive for an hour to another town for the date but recognised fellow officers who turned up after he called 911.
I have plenty of cop friends who won't carry in certain situations. Maybe they assumed he wasn't carrying and not all cops are alpha personalities that will take control like that.
A girl meeting a guy for the first time and feeling safe and trusting me in the middle of a field in total darkness raises red flags for me that she’s not concerned for her safety so I should probably be concerned for mine
Exactly but most people think the opposite. Most people think… wow, she really likes me and trusts me…. That is a huge red flag for a woman to want to do something like that with a guy she’s never met. I would be thinking… no way. I’m Not going way out in the woods somewhere and get murdered.
Why did Barbara react so idiotically, assuming the man was a friend of Alyssa's? I can't believe she's so naive. Why she didn't call 911 right away after her daughter told her she didn't know him is a mystery time.
I'm coming into this vid two years late, but this actually helped me realize that I came *very* close to being trafficked when I was 20. I'm still shaken after seeing this about two days ago. Thank you so much for this. It was terrifying and personal.
Glad you are OK, that third story shocked me the most because I had a very bad feeling what was going on there, I find myself wanting to know if these particular individuals were caught because human trafficking is terrifying and abhorrent. It winds me up. I know 'Taken' isn't a horror movie technically, but it is scary because shit like that happens.
#1 with Derrick, I thought his judgment was super naive about going to a secluded area on a first date, but the fact that he had a concealed carry probably explains his overconfidence. Most extreme dating scenarios aren't that risky when you're packing heat.
@@John-ik2eg I know, but what I meant is, that he was a Rookie and would have likely missed the shot if he had shot, due to inexperience, thus that could have been the probable best outcome for him, in regards of the scenario developing to a capture.
@Gucci Momaa hahahahaha wait...so you believe there is some sky lord that gives you the right to own a man made machine that has only been around for a tiny fraction of the existence of man? Why didn’t your god give man guns earlier if it’s so important to him that he gives you the right? And why does he only find a small group of people (USA) privileged enough to be given this right? Shouldn’t he make everyone on earth have this right if he is so powerful? You zealots are such a joke.
Wendy seems extremely naive, it's a good thing her friend was there. I hope she now learned that if something seems too good to be true it's because it is.
I imagine why all of her friends who she invited never said a word of advice. I mean, if you see a friend of yours walking at a trap you should tell, right?
It's common for influencers to be given free stuff, so without knowing much about the hotel in question it seems perfectly possible. I wondered why she didn't want to document the arrival and being picked up for her Social Media bit. That might have raised a flag as the guys wouldn't have want to be filmed. I'm not sure what one guy could have done against two men with guns - maybe they didn't want to dispose of a corpse. What is more mind blowing is that Wendy wasn't going to call the Police because she didn't think it was that serious 😱. Did it not occur to her others might fall victim to this, and probably already have done. This is the problem with promoting an individualistic society, no one gives a fuck or even thought about how other people might be affected, (unless it's how to empty their bank account)
I like the crime-comedy exchange between Derek and his supposedly-robbers when he realized he was catfished and in the process of getting robbed and possibly even kidnapped, but the way Mr. Ballen says Derek's line sounds more like he was just disappointed and lamenting about his unlucky relationship streak.
Derek should have played it that the police set Leia and creep up and he was arresting them. He should have made them go spread eagle on the ground. Maybe shoot big guy in the leg too.
@@daughterofpb"he should have lied & assaulted a man who had surrendered with a firearm" yeah, sure that will help with our rampant abuse of power from police, if we encourage them to abuse their power when they're off duty
Scary to think you can buy an old account using it to trap and lure innocent lives into trafficking. I pray this reaches many influencers or just people in general who hear the story of this influencer who could've lost her life or ability to know life as she knows it. Stay safe everyone!
Right! She jus totally lucked out! N the fact that she sat there listening to them fight in another language in Miami n they had no professional mannerisms what so ever should've been enough to get outta there FAST
Story #1: I’m surprised Derek hadn’t mentioned he was a cop when they were getting to know each other. Seems like that would be one of the 1st things that would be brought up in conversation through the Tinder app.
People don't like cops these days, maybe thinks in dating he can woo them so hard they'll change their opinion of cops... or maybe he's humble and didn't flaunt being a cop (unless asked) since he's just a rookie
Its a good example of how paid promotions should be done. It should fit the channel and the video and still feel like the persons content. Good on you, Mr ballen! You keep doing this right. Don't let them twist you out of your feel
If I see Mr.Ballen adverting Raid shadow legends then I'm gonna start to question everything we know and love. All though I would be quite intrigued to see how he would pitch it...
i remember watching a show explaining a true story of a lady 'winning' a free vacation to some nice resort in south america. Turned out the cartel behind the 'giveaway' threatened her on the last day there and forced her to become a drug mule. They intentionally ratted her out to the airport security so that an even bigger mule would slip by the security as all the security would be focused on the lady.
Receipts? That doesn't sound right to me. What on earth would they threaten her with in order to force her to meet up with the people who were going to *traffic* her, shove a bag of potentially leaky/ lethal mystery drugs somewhere on or in her person, and then try to fly back home without alerting the authorities or ditching the drugs? It just doesn't add up.
@@torielric You need to understand that people react differently to those threatening situations. There are people that fight and others who give up and dont resist at all becasue they are full of fear. And maybe it is some gene or environmental affect of how they grew up I dont know maybe even a combination of those but some do go along with the threat in hopes it will all end somehow and they get away from the threat safely. So even if you and me think "how could they react like that I wouldnt do that". But to be honest if you are not in the middle of the experiacne yourself you dont really know how you would react you know. I hope and I guess that we wouldnt react like that and I guess most wouldnt but there are a few that would react like that. And sometimes the sad thing is that someone could have saved themself if they reacted differently but that is something we only know afterwards.
@@Kenny-yl9pc I'm aware that people react differently to threats. I just wanted to get a better understanding of her situation. That's why I asked for receipts, which I still want. It's more than a little odd that they contacted the police for the first interaction and then "completely give up" for the next interaction. The pattern of behavior doesn't match up.
@da215th MaN nope, I think it was 969k, because I couldn’t believe how his subscriptions went up since then! Unbelievable. And I assume he’s going to hit 1 million in a couple days. Unbelievable! But I’ve been bing listening his stories for the past week LOL thus, not surprised how quickly his channel grew. Love the way he tells his stories!
In college, an online romance got pretty serious. They promised to marry me and pamper me and all I had to do was but a one way ticket to Australia and not tell anyone. That snapped me out of the wishful thinking. I cut off all contact. I only wish I had reported it, but I was a dumb college kid.
Yea right it literally screams pedophile territory ❌ she was so innocent and oblivious and that got her in that situation, but at the same time her innocence actually ended up saving her life.
I would definitely watch a movie about the first story as long as Mr Ballen was the Director, I’d probably watch any movie Mr Ballen directed, this man is such a brilliant storyteller.
I’ve always skipped the whole “like button” spiel on every channel, but yours is the most unique and hilarious I have ever heard. You deserve the sub and like for sure!
Exactly! His like button thing is always different and creative. But honestly I think that one day that like button is going to come storming out of their house with a plan up their sleeves to get MrBallen back for everything
i lived in miami for about three years and the first thing i was taught when i started school there was to be extremely careful when walking around and to never be alone because juman trafficking was one of the biggest problems in miami
I'm glad you did this episode. You may have saved someone's life by telling the 3 stories as cautionary tales on what to watch out for while using social media apps.
Cautionary tales!!! If you're dumb enough to go to a secluded place, go outside at 3 am and travel to another state for a STRANGER you deserve everything you get!!! 🙄🤡
Doesn't matter so much these days. Most guys are done with dating tbh, most women are feminists at heart and want this new modern type relationship which doesn't work. Therefore guys are just done with dating and happy to be alone and have all that money and time for themselves
You really did a great service by educating your audience to the possible dangers that truly do exist. And I never find the secret cuz I’m always just zoomed in on your next words. 🥰
I would've been suspicious when the girl wanted to go to a secluded area for their first date. Lol what, no. Something's up with that chick. Men and women alike, we should always _always_ only go to public places early on, until you're both comfortable and met each other's friends, communities etc. And don't get in their car. No tinder date is worth dying over. Stay safe.
@@bobsaturday4273 right, so if he hadn't had his conceal carry pistol he would've been robbed and who knows what else. But fuck him for being a cop right? I'd bet you couldn't walk and chew gum at the same time lmao.
Stargazing is a romantic date, for sure. But that's "established relationship" activity. Not "we literally just met for the first time less than an hour ago" activity.
I can disagree with that. I can see stargazing for a first date especially if one of the partners are extremely interested in that sort of thing. Maybe just stargaze in a more populated place though.
I’m about 95% sure that was a fictional story. It was pretty well written but there were some glaring red flags. Mr Ballen uses so much detail in his story telling, so the made up ones are pretty easy to spot, even though they’re well written. Here are the red flags showing that story didn’t actually happen. 1) They spoke on the phone for weeks, yet somehow he never mentions his job? No, that’s likely going to come up in the first 3 minutes of getting to know each other. He was just a rookie patrolman. It’s not like he’s in the CIA and had to conceal his job. 2) If this guy was a cop for any longer than 2 days her behavior (frantic texting) after he got back in the car would’ve sent off alarms something was wrong. 3) They lived over an hour apart, but he recognized the cops that met him at the gas station. Mr Ballen refers to them as senior officers, inferring they’re in the same department. Nope! Unless he’s a State Cop, that’s just too far apart to be the same law enforcement group, even if they met exactly half way - roughly 25 miles is too far apart to work together. He couldn’t be a state cop either, he was too young. Nevermind the fact that they would’ve pulled the plug on the whole thing after seeing how aggressive he was the first time he encountered the van. She would’ve just made up an excuse to get out of there and they would look for an easier target later. I think about 1/2 of these stories are pure fiction. With all the details he gives, if you can’t easily find proof of the story then it’s likely fake. They’re still well written and extremely well told. Just because they aren’t all real doesn’t make this channel any less amazing. It’s one of the best on YT.
@ladywharton Not always. I live in a country town where we have street lights and you can still stargaze somewhat. Not nearly as good as in the country away from town but it is possible, especially good enough for a first date with a stranger.
I met my bf on discord lmao. Only one month as of now and he’s 18hrs away by car. I have pretty non-standard interests and I live in a relatively small town so dating sites aren’t really effective for me. I joke with him that even if he murders me I’m cool with that lol
“Always meet in a public place.” That was my rule, and we stayed in a public place on that date. That at least gives you time to get a line on who they are. If your gut says no, always listen.
But most teenagers think they know best and r in a hurry to grow up. They won't listen but if they made them sit a exam after each story then at least they have that information available
This isn’t an internet booby trap but it is a letter one, one that many teen girls unfortunately fall for. I was a senior and had just gotten home from school. I checked the mail and I had gotten a letter. It seemed real but something seemed off. I opened it and it was a letter addressed to me, notifying me that I had been selected to study in Europe, France to be exact. I never applied for anything like this. They had contacted numbers, emails, and more. Because my mother had sat down with me and taken the time and tell me about human trafficking and more, I knew it was fake. I showed it to my mother and we had reported it. I know something came of it but I never asked her the details about it. My friends told me that I missed out on a great opportunity….. this let me know how gullible teen girls can really be when their parents don’t tell them about reality.
I have a pretty crazy story about something that happened to my brother about 10 years ago. It didn't involve the internet, but he got set up, similar to the guy in the first story. My brother was at a local bar and met a girl who seemed cool. After a while, she asked if he wanted to go to a party. He agreed and they got into her car and drove off. She stopped at a house and told him she was picking up a couple friends and to wait in the car. After a couple minutes, three guys came out and got into the car. One in the driver's seat, and two in the back seats. They started the car and drove off. Immediately, my brother asked where the girl went. At that point, the guy in the back left seat pointed a gun at my brother and told him to start emptying his pockets. He pulled out his phone, a lighter, pack of smokes, and a little cash and they told him to give them his wallet. He lied and said he didn't have it on him, but they didn't believe him. They drove out on a long dirt road into a wooded area (this is in Oregon, so you don't have to drive far to be in the middle of nowhere), and forced him out of the car. They made him turn his pockets inside-out and told him to face the car while one of them started to pat him down. As soon as the guy found his wallet, my brother just turned and made a mad dash as fast as he could. He ran for a couple minutes, through thick brush and trees before coming to a dirt road, where he saw the lights from a house just up the road. He ran up to the door and started pounding on it. He told the person what just happened and they let him in to call the police. When the cops got there, my brother led them to the spot and they found shell casings, indicating they were shooting at him as he ran away. They said it's not uncommon for someone to not hear shots when they are on an adrenaline rush in that kind of situation. A couple months later, they ended up catching the girl who set him up and she ratted on all three guys. She was caught driving a stolen U-haul, full of somebody's stuff. As far as I know, those guys are still in prison.
The 2nd story, I wish the grandma hadnt made it known that she was calling the police on the guy because it gave him a chance to get away before the police arrived. But, maybe she thought he would get inside before they'd arrive.
I agree. I would have been quiet and let him think we were hiding and not calling anyone so he would caught. I'm sure she was afraid he would get in the house tho, being so persistent.
I don't know, when granny and little princess don't know police will come and there is some random guy who knows the name... if I was one of the females, I would want that guy to dissappear ASAP not carrying if he would be caught or not
I believe Derrick's date was Kimberly Kessler. She moves all over the country and has used 17 aliases. She worked in a salon right out of Jacksonville in Nassau County and is suspected of killing her co-worker Joleen Cummings whose body has never been found. Kimberly is locked up but Derrick needs to google the photo of when she was first arrested because her looks have changed drastically.
@@slothmarathonpromotions2470 YES, everyone check out Mr. Top-Notch-Detective! Evidence and everything, right on the table. I mean, there can't have been two female killers active in the USA at once, right? They have to be the same one. CASE CLOSED!
I’m in the living room watching this video on the tv and my father(60 years old/ 20 year Vet) walks in and says “I watch this guy a lot”. Don’t know why that just blew my mind. Guess the fact that my father watches the same random shit as me is pretty funny.
I bet what surprised you had more to do with not expecting older people to be interested in this kind of thing....heh. It's like, back when rock music was new, not expecting older people to love the music. Preconceptions.....
@@TheEudaemonicPlague Not really. Because me and my dad actually like some of the same music and movies. I’m just honestly surprised he knows how to use TH-cam 😂
I'm 60 also. Finished chemo in June and going through several surgeries. Got a bacterial infection after the last one. Couldn't move, but John is a great story teller, so I would fall asleep listening to his voice telling great stories. 60 is the new 30. ;)
As a vet myself not a sof just a jar head. It’s good to see that there’s hope for others to succeed outside of the structure of the military!. Just wanted to say thanks.i believe this is a positive and strong symbol for others, that feel lost and unsure of themselves.
@@JacobASmith59, thank you for saying that!. I don’t believe you’ll ever know exactly how much that very message helped at the perfect timing!. It’s honestly still remarkable it came in when it did. Thank you!!!, you’ll never know in a million years just how important that message was just then!. I’m still literally shaking!. You have my utmost appreciation for that amazingly timed message!!!. Thanks again!!!,
The last one. Bringing Mitch with her ended up saving her. I don't know how they didn't click that they were human trafficers when they started to get so upset that she didn't have a girl with her.
Haha. Give a listen to some true crime podcasts. Sword and Scale episodes will make you nauseous. Especially the first few episodes. I listen and watch things that go into detail about pretty dark stuff and one of those episodes was the only thing I've ever stopped when my husband came in because I was worried about what he'd think of me for listening to.
My husband was too. Because when I found mrballen I couldn't get enough until I had finished every single upload from him...I also love that chapter Mike's accent is awesome and my 2nd favorite storyteller....I can close my eyes and fall Asleep to these without having to keep my eyes open every second
I knew the world was a scary place. But Mr. Ballen has helped me realize that it is even scarier than I imagined. I'm constantly warning my family about the lessons I've learned from these stories. These three stories might be the most important ones I've learned from.
Mitch was that girls angel. As soon as I heard them screaming at me about another girl I would’ve let myself out got my friend out. Still could’ve been bad. Good Job Mitch
This made me think of the pizza delivery guy being sent in the middle of nowhere to dead radio station. Where they ran a meth lab. Omg, it was terrifying, at what point do you not follow your gut feeling and turn around, you know.
Man, that grown creepy man visiting the little teenage girl at 3am with an accomplice in the 2nd story is a scary reminder of the type of creepos out there that just aint wired right in head. I guess Story 1&3 fits that category too
It bothered me that the grandma called the police so loudly. She could have whispered it and said to him ‘hang on she’s getting ready’ or something like that. So they could have caught them.
@@guiniverebehounek6174 I disagree. If you try underhanded shyster bull crap like that, to someone AT YOUR RESIDENCE... You must think they're going to lock him up for more than a night. Those people were already anticipating hurting someone, don't challenge that, believe it.
Wendy must’ve had her red flag o meter turned off before she went like he’s yelling where’s the other girl over and over that’s in itself counts as 1,000 red flags
Agreed! As soon as MrBallen started saying that I immediately thought "they wanted to traffic them as sex slaves". She was INCREDIBLY lucky. I can't imagine having that happen... all those poor people :(
The moment they specified a gender for the +1 was a red flag for me! I was wondering why she didn't contact the hotel by googling their number to verify and ask questions at that point.
In regards to the first story, when dating someone for the first time--especially anyone whom you met only online--always select a location that has other people around. That is, a bar, cafe, restaurant, or other business. Do not meet a stranger at some remote location, such as a park, especially at night.
The problem with this is that... Everything still would have happened EVEN IF the first date was at a bar... Because she would have just done it on the second date and he would have let his guard down more. The problem is that most people drop the suspicion once they find out the other party IS the person they actually think they are. She was the girl in the tinder pics, so to him, he didn't have any reason to doubt her.
On the last story, remember - "If it sounds to good to be true, it usually is." My daughter nearly fell into such a trap in Lexington, Kentucky. She called home and ask me what I thought of her flying (at her own expence) to Florida to be a jewelry model. I talked her out of the idea.
Telling these stories is a public service, thanks MrBallen. I remembered an incident that happened to me decades ago, I was being fitted for a jacket in a tailor's store (that also served women) and the assistant said something about how he was a photographer and would love to have me be his model. Well I was self-aware enough to know it would be ridiculous to think about being a model, and just looked at him incredulously. But even years ago people were trying on these scams.
Cop or not a concealed carry made all the difference in story one of Derrick going from potentially a victim to being viewed as a challenge , but why didn’t they chose a better weapon than pipes ? We’re they like on level 1 of a video game in their minds ?
Lucky for them he was a cop. If I'd been in Derrick's place, I'd have shot both of them. And kept shooting until they were good and dead, too. Not that I'd go off to some blanking field...with a stranger...at night.
I’m assuming they wanted to kidnap him or something and wanted to keep him alive so if they had to use force a gun would be devastating especially since if the wound is severe they can’t exactly go to the nearest hospital seeing as they’re criminals, so a pipe would be better. They also didn’t know he was carrying a weapon so they had no reason to suspect that they would need extra force.
coz the other ones have the safety net of being paranormal which a lot of people dont believe in. these are real people, doing things to other real people
I hope parents are teaching their kids about internet safety because this is terrifying and our dependence on social media and phones is only getting worse and worse.
And you have your full birth name on a major social media... You do know anyone can use your name to find out all your personal information. Just making you aware of those dangers. Use a made up name for your own safety. Your a pretty girl and there are a lot of creepers. Just looking out for you 💕👍
So glad my son doesn't have any desire to create any social media accounts. Like mother like son I guess!? Maybe we're just both old souls! ¯\_(ツ)_/¯ God kids can be brutal and straight savage; I think I'm more worried about bullying than potential predators.
@@robinmcinarnay7827 I hear what you are putting down! Bullying is one of the reasons young kids commit suicide 😔 So sad. I knew someone who did because he was so tormented in school and on social media! Sounds like you have a wonderful son.
A lot of parents aren't teaching their kids sh*t, they're handing them an iPhone or whatever and leaving them to it so they don't have to bother with their child.
![PASULOL รามเกียรติ์ ตอนที่ 4 นนทกพบรัก [Ramakien Ep.4: Nonthok in love]](http://i.ytimg.com/vi/tMUQgmZzf_A/mqdefault.jpg)
10:25
I snuck into the like button’s house and stole all of its left socks for you! Love the videos, very immersive storytelling. Thanks for keeping us entertained. 💕
Gg bro
nice
Nice find!
You beat me by 5 minutes 😭
Bro you found that quicker then could even press on this video
Watching you has litterally got me sober, I watched it all night, for almost 2 weeks while I went through withdrawl. Withdrawl is HELL. Your stories and voice kept me sane, I couldnt even SEE stright, but I could hear. when I felt like I was going to die I just listened to you. So thank you.
I've been sober for a year and 15 days. I'll never drink again. I can't. I finally realized it. Keep at it! It's absolutely worth it.
My very best wishes to you. 🤠👍
@@Silver-Sliver thank you!! And congrats to you on your sobriety, it's a HUGE deal!!! I have been a heroin addict for 7 years. I'm just over living like this. I had no support and did it alone, my family has no clue I was doing drugs.... I'm over the worst of it now, 2 weeks of pure hell. Still feel yucky, but not nearly as bad as I did. Withdrawl is pure torture. It is my worst fear. Hopefully I beat it for good!!
@@sophiedexterabby I did it on my own as well. I got 'scared sober'. No support but my own fierce disgust at my behavior and teeth gritting willpower. I didn't want to look back in 5 years and think, 'if only I'd stopped THEN'. I drink tons of coffee, lol 😆 and have my own 'do this instead of that' rituals. It's much easier now, but I'll always be recovering. I can't afford to forget it, and that's A-OK. I don't know you, but I'm proud of you! Yeehaw! 🤎
Good on ya. Keep it up. You can do it. It'll be hard but your life WILL get better if you keep working on it.
Well done, Sophie. And Mr Ballen! What an amazing gift you have for storytelling.
I feel like this should be common sense, but for everyone out there: A FIRST DATE SHOULD ALWAYS BE IN A PUBLIC PLACE WHERE OTHERS CAN SEE YOU ‼️ IF SOMEONE INSISTS ON BEING IN A SECLUDED PLACE *DONT GO* ‼️ PLEASE BE SAFE ‼️
1st 2nd & 3rd Dates Should Be In Public… DONT TRUST SO EASILY
Don't look on the Internet for love. I know too many people who met someone who was very disturbed. Watch out because dangerous people are out there
The only proper place to try and find a date is at Church.
Just for that advice I'm going to go into my dates basement alone without telling anyone where I'm going or that I have a date.
@@Herr_Flick_of_ze_Gestapo 🤣
hey Eric... No girl in their right mind would suggest such a remote area for a first date.
That would have been the 1st red flag.
He was 21 years old and this was his first time dating someone he didn't already know. We live and we learn.
Ya, as a girl, I think I can say, we don’t trust that easily to go to such a remote place with some person we have never met before
@@jamesallen5591 hmmm... i don't know man. Plenty of movies and tv episodes that cover things like this. On another note, It's a tactic for a car to block your front, and another to block your rear at a regular traffic light. That part of his story reminded me of just that.
Yeah I would have gone to an arcade
@@jamesallen5591 wasn’t he a cop?
Once they asked for a "female friend" I would have been suspicious.
Although the story raises a good point: if you get invited somewhere by a company, it would be easy enough to search for and contact said company online, just to be on the safe side.
That was so overt, it was like a red flag the size of a city block.
And also to call and confirm the details with multiple people. No matter how official it looks, stay diligent.
The problem there is if they have taken over an unused website they could also change phone numbers and contact info and answer any messages or calls.
Don't contact them via online. Pick up the phone and CALL the actual place. There are thousands of travel scams out there, some of which are trafficking, some just time share cons and some legit. I'm a travel agent so I get tons of these offers. The real ones always say bring your husband or partner along, mainly because they want both of you there to send you on a six hour tour of their property and then pressure you to invest. Just skip them, but if you don't CALL the property itself!
Instagram influencers aren't necessarily the brightest bulbs
Thank you for exposing human trafficking. This episode should be played in High schools and colleges in every single class.
I remember a story a few years back where an Airline Employee stopped two young girls trying to buy plane tickets for some type of "modeling" opportunity.
Especially math classes cause that shit didnt add up lmao
@@jkeezy93 lol
@@jkeezy93 lolz xd
Agreed. It should be played at high schools and colleges.
I had a friend gush to me how a party planner reached out to her through social media and invited her to do an all expense paid night in Chicago. She would just have to meet at this studio apartment to get hair nails etc done. Take pre party pictures and have drinks. Then the whole group of 15 girls would go to The Berkshire Room. It was meant to be for publicity and marketing pictures. I questioned it and asked why a super high end place would have someone contact her from outside their organization, also not provide a name of the person at the bar thatis helping organize it. She got what I was saying. Another friend encouraged her to call the bar and verify this was a legit event they were hosting. Well low and behold it wasn't.
We never found out how many young women were reached out to for this scam. And it makes me sick that if someone falls for it they could be walking into a trap to be raped or trafficked.
Please please please be careful out there. Always verify and ask questions.
@@Tomos_J-J my friend who was contacted did. They tried to investigate. Was a burner phone and no exact address of the meeting spot was given because she didn't fully commit to it. I never heard anything after that so I assume she didn't hear anything from the police either.
My ex wife told me one day that she got approached at a mall by a guy claiming to be a photographer and model scout. I was not shocked as she was pretty and all but I told her to arrange to meet in a very public place, they agreed and she showed up and the guy tried to get her to go to a hotel room. She was heart broken but went home . I think she could have been killed or trafficked.
Omg I live in Chicago and there have been Craigslist posts every few months of someone offering a "party hostess gig" for one night each month that would pay around $5k for the gig and that the hostess has to be a young pretty female. It never says the company name or any info at all other than the high pay and you have to be pretty young female. I always think it is so sus and would be scared to even contact them. I hope whoever keeps posting it isn't actually evil but wtf still I thought of that when you mentioned Chicago. People are crazy out here
@@user-jc5ll1rx3f I live here too. Super scary. Please be careful! Between the car jackings, armed robberies, people going missing, etc. This is just another thing to add to the list of why I don't go out anymore.
If Influencers had brains they wouldn't exist 😉
Wow. That last story just reinforces for me all the times my parents warned, "If it sounds too good to be true, it likely is."
So glad none of her female friends could go with her.
I'm sure there are plenty of other girls this has happened to, who didn't have a Mitch to protect them. Dozens, hundreds, who knows. Human trafficking is huge and no country in the world is not touched by it in some way. This is the story of one girl who got supremely lucky, where thousands have not.
@@daniell1483
Exactly
I’m glad I developed trust issues early on
The problem is, this is actually a legitimate thing that is often given to influencers. Hotels will definitely pay for people with large followings to come to their hotel in exchange for posting pictures to Instagram. It often has better results than traditional marketing campaigns, and is much cheaper. So that's what makes this scam so clever. The "fake" account having over 10k followers makes it seem legitimate too, so the only real way to avoid the scam was to independently verify everything by contacting someone at the hotel directly
That and side arms always help out if needed.
As a woman, when I joined Tinder I had four main rules:
1. First date, or even first few dates, are always public, and never too late at night.
2. Never gave out my phone number on the app until I met them in person. Even then, if it was a "nah", they didn't get my number.
3. I would send the guy's info to my friend and would have a time for her to expect me to text her after the date.
4. I always carried. Without exception.
Always look out for yourself, even if you're a man.
Yet guys are the ones who usually get catfished not women. Dating apps are way more dangerous for men. Not to mention the quality of women has dropped to an all time low thanks to womanism, most guys are single these days and happy
@@BlazeBuds My post wasn't about catfishing, it was about safety. I stated before, and now again, both men and women should be careful when meeting with any person on the internet. Catfishing isn't "dangerous" if its only in terms of the woman's looks. Is it bad, yes, but I wouldn't say dangerous. At most you just wasted your time. You could call off the date and go home. That's what my boyfriend did for a couple dates before he met me. It wasn't dangerous. Women are more in danger meeting up with men just because of the biological strength differences. My firearm was my equalizer if it ever came to that. Luckily nothing did, but there were more than a few creepy guys messaging me, I just never gave them the opportunity to meet. My rules could easily be applied to men as well, I'm just talking from the perspective of a woman. My boyfriend also carried during dates because he is military/security. It was actually a funny bonding moment for us.
Of course you with all your shenanigans... Come on we just wanna f* don't play !!! 💯💯💯 jkjk
Omg get off tinder. Save yourself. Before I got married and worked I would drive to work at like 6am. So at like 5:30 am I would see tons of handsome single men there every morning. Def would be heading there if I was single. Or breakfast place near a fire house! Or police station! They all go there all the time. Go at the same time every week. Same with grocery stores! Look at people and smile! Makes you seem willing to be spoke to! All the men at my work (I am the only woman to ever work at my company, very physically hard job so women never apply) were afraid to talk to women because they said they think they’ll accuse them of sexual harassment. It’s so sad
@@Heavyisthecrown But... if men are afraid to approach women for that fear how would it be conducive for me to hang out around single men? I'm already off Tinder. I've been with my boyfriend for a year now. We talked about this issue a lot. Sadly in this day and age it is extremely rare any guy will approach any girl. Like you said, and I agree, so many men are afraid and so many women toss around accusations too freely. I'm not disagreeing with you, but the likelihood of being approached is extremely low. Women usually have to be the ones to approach now.
Moral of the story; always bring a Mitch.
@Oswald Degrelle Nah, they need a taser and a handgun
Yes or it won’t end well for you
@@collinbogunovich7312 Nah a pepper spray is better
@@nirvan8703 did you not pick up on the sarcasm after he said sarcasm in the same comment?😂
@@nirvan8703 thats what they all say🧐
Really surprised the girl in Miami didn’t realize immediately when they freaked out about where is the other girl that it was a trafficking scam. Dangerously naive.
Yeah influencers tend to not be the brightest tool in the kitchen
Narciccist. Can't believe she is not enough all by herself.
Surprising part is that 40-60% of ppl are that naive
tbh the guy didn't realize either
Especially for this to have happened as recently in 2018. There is so much awareness about trafficking tricks now. This was obvious.
What’s really scary is how in all 3 stories the people weren’t caught
Yep
Oh you don't know how much happens everyday without people gettin caught.
Quite strange because internet crime is easy to solve.
It can help a criminal in the short turn but you leave a digital fingerprint easy to trace by police.
@@richardgomez1151 Unless the perpetrator uses throwaway phones and public Wi-fi.
And tracing takes time. If the perpetrators move fast enough, and if the police don't have enough resources, it can devolve into a game of cat-and-mouse where the perpetrator is always one step away from getting caught, but never does.
yes😱😱
A very similar situation happened to me, I was modeling and a “photographer” reached out about a all expense paid photo shoot, the only catch was I needed to go solo or bring *specifically* a female friend, when I said I’d be accompanied by my fiancé they tried to shut it down saying “having other guys around will mess up the shoot” exc. needless to say that was a huge red flag and I did not pursue the shoot any further & I reported the conversation. Keep your eyes open ladies!
I'm so sorry that happened to you and that this happens to women. So terrible. Glad nothing bad happened to you! Please be careful gl to you and your fiance!
I stopped my son's girlfriend from making the same mistake. I had the police at the house when they called for her again.
Yep I live near Atlanta and guys like this are everywhere. Plenty of gigs my girlfriend had to turn down cause too many red flags. As soon as a photographer says no guys at the shoot that's a huge red flag. And with the movie industry being big in Georgia plenty of fake directors and producers claiming they'll make you famous but all a con to get you. I always tell my female friends don't be stupid these guys know the game and will tell you anything you want to hear, meanwhile their plotting to rape you, kill you, sell you as a sex slave, chasing fame or money isn't worth you losing your life. Stay safe people.
#commonsense
This stuff is so dangerous. You can't know what exactly is their intention but it's definitely nothing good, stay safe.
As a child, I learned that when people are upset with your presence the first thing you can do to fix it is leaving. This followed me into adulthood and has inadvertently spared me more than once from being the victim of various assaults and possibly also human trafficking. My best advice to people who feel uncomfortable by someone's negative reaction to you is to leave immediately. They can't do something to you with their hostility, anger, negativity, or violence if you're not there anymore.
Fax
Give em the gift of your absence
jesus christ as a child??? what kind of life do you live that you've endangered yourself your whole life!
@@daianaxi1295 That they “endangered THEMSELVES their whole life”. Watch what you’re saying. Why are you so quick to jump at someone like that? Just please stop.
Lol so basically just never leave the house
The fact that Wendy saw that whole exchange in the car and got kicked out and still thought it was just a misunderstanding is wild.
People see what they want to see. Remember, she was excited and wanted to BELIEVE the illusion was real.
+Nan Little - You'd be surprised at how naive a lot of influencers can be.
I agree, but instead of "wild" I would have used the word "insane".
The fact that they told her to ONLY invite a female friend shoulda been enough to ask questions... Most girl her age would wanna take their boyfriend to something like that... Red flags flying all around scary shit man ..
HELLr
“Give us your keys and wallet!😡”
“No”
Lmaoooo I love this.
The Virgin con artists "Give us your stuff"
VS
The Chad concealed weapon carry. "No."
If they had candy in that van I would be convinced😎
@@DXRKEDITZ.Lol...but always see the candy up front! Incidentally strangers always do seem to have the best candy. 😂😂
Couldn't the police find the owner of the van?
@@xonx209it was most likely stolen
Very late comment:
But thank you for bringing trafficking up and reminding people how serious it can be.
My friend and I were out to eat once in a city I used to live in in the winter time, and some lady came in and sat by us asking if we'd give her a ride to her boyfriends house just on the other side of the interstate because she was "cold" (this was only like 3-4 blocks away)... we felt off about the situation, said our friend dropped us off and was coming back for us so we "didnt have a vehicle" and offered her a lyft and I offered her my gloves, she was VERY upset about this and grabbed my gloves and stormed out of the building and we never saw her again.
We warned the employees as they have young females working and the interstate is a quick easy get away in trafficking situations. It really is a scary situation.
stories like yours makes me appreciate being male. i think I'd be too dumb to have a vagina. being in control of a vehicle would make me feel like nothing could go wrong
The social influencer story is horrific. This should be made known everywhere.
@Axion I feel like a lot of people would have fallen for that even if they wern't influencers
I think the one involving the young girl is important. That is happening all over.
The influencer story is from Reddit
also to maybe defend the girl in the situation a bit, if people somehow got hold of the hotel's old Instagram account, or at least recreated it, it probably looked pretty legit. Still, she probably should have done more fact-checking...
Phoenix so it’s probably fake
As a father of an 18 year old boy, I can only hope in this day and age of “likes” “friends” “followers” etc...that these teens and young adults understand how dangerous the internet can be. I’ve been preaching to my son forever but always have concern cause these predators can be real good. This video should be labeled under “education” and shown on different platforms to reach that audience. Good work sir as usual!
So true
😀 I think it should toooo
@@harleyclaunch-clark8788 😂🤭
The internet can be a dangerous place.
I’m literally hiding in the comments and I’m scared af cause it’s late at night
Mitch is saving lives. I hope he's living his best life.
You can see how this guy was a SEAL. He’s really good at situational awareness and describing relevant details.
One of the reasons why I love him and his content so much
Man..just shut up.. smh 🤦♀️
Any good story teller can do this.
I’m not convinced until I see him balance a ball on his nose, or does a perfect rendition of kiss from a rose.
Yes! That's what it is, he is an amazing storyteller. It's like he lived it and describes such detail like you would from your own memory.
I'm surprised Wendy didn't realize the trafficking set up when the guy kept asking about the other girl. If it wasn't for her friend Mitch, she'd probably be gone forever......
Because people are aware that things happen but it never occurs to a person that it could happen to them.
Definitely! Thank goodness none of the women she asked said they'd go... and Mitch did! There must have been guardian angels looking out for them! I mean how many people would pass up a free 1st class trip like that?
@@silentj624 Yeah I think that's true, at least with a lot of people.
You're surprised she didn't realise it was human traffic?
It could have been a hundred different things. Serial killer, kidnapping, drug mule......
Crazy that young girl’s egos are so large that they dont bother thinking about their own safety
1st date in a secluded place should always raise red flags..
anybody that asks/ Tells you to meet then at a Mystery Motel in the Middle of Nowhere and Tells you NOT to Tells anybody where your Going or the name of the person your Meeting
I supose men often don't learn about these types of red flags
@@vitamolenaar362 That makes sense.
Tip: McDonald’s is preferable over a secluded area
@@vitamolenaar362 are you brain dead? he thought they were going to a public park...
As soon as he said the two cops came back to Derek in the squad car acting a bit off, I was seriously expecting them to pull out pipes just as Leah and the caretaker stepped up next to them as all four say together, “now give us your wallet”.
Right
Me too!
😂😂😂😂
😂😂😂😂
No he said straight off the bat that he recognised those cops so there were no red flags there.
"Girl outta your league"
"Creepy road"
"Mysterious Van"
"Middle of Nowhere, at night"
.....how obvious does it need to be? Glad he brought his gun though.
Must have been thinking with his other head
@@The-Mandolorian Lmfao Gold
@@The-Mandolorian 😂 😂
cops are usually smarter than that but like jb says , new rookie with all the brass and little brains
If the photo looked too good I'm thinking old photo or beauty filter!
Don't know about the road thing, as often the best spots are off the beaten track.
Not so much the van, but her reaction to the situation.
Well they were star gazing, so a bit hard to see the stars during the day.
as a mother of 2 girls, out of all the stories you've told, this last on, with this girl who was "given" a trip to Miami for her and "another girlfriend" was to me THE MOST TERRIFYING EVER. Thank you for the heads up
Yes! I thought that only happened in foreign places.
It's the same thing as when you get a call from the IRS, the bank, whatever, saying there's a problem and you need to do something to fix it. Listen to them, politely tell them you're busy right now but you can call them back in about 10-15 minutes to talk, and get their name and phone number. Then immediately look up the real number for the IRS or bank or whatever, call them, and confirm with them that they really are trying to contact you about a problem. Cold calling someone and getting them to believe you are who you say you are is one of the oldest cons in the book. Automatically assume any call/IM/SMS/email you receive from a stranger is a scam, until proven otherwise.
@Quo Hium Okay, thanks for letting me know.
Well don't be. Wendy's story is as believable as the stories your kids tell you to justify why they've been out past curfew.
@@Burkutace27 So are you going to tell us why it is unbelievable or you are just going to hide in replies insinuating that it is fake?
If the girl you met on Tinder doesn't wanna meet in a public place for the first time, RED FLAG
Great point.
I don't know how anyone has the balls to try internet dating. In the back of my mind I would be constantly questioning the validity of everything they said, not to mention whether or not that picture really is of THEM. It's also so much easier to bullshit when you aren't face to face. Bring back REAL dating. PLEASE. It's way more fun and a lot less risky.
@@loulabelle5082 In your own words, how do you bring back REAL dating? Also, you must be a millennial or a boomer bc you don’t sound like current generation’s kid at all.
@@zarrincherry1147 lol
Zoomers suck tho
@@OnlyLacial lmao you mean millennials are jealous and boomers are disgusted of Gen Z?
That first story is why I am absolutely terrified of dating apps. Meet at public places folks, not in open empty fields. 😶
When I hear stories like this, I realise how vulnerable we can be to these predators, at all levels. Thank you for taking care of us.
@Mr.Peanut1982 JONES about as vulnerable as a Challenger 3.
@Mr.Peanut1982 JONES pathetic
@@DawwgYouRaww tf?
It’s harder on women too
You're only vulnerable if you make yourself vulnerable.
Dude I love how he pulls out his gun and is like “Ima cop b*tch!”
Lol
Ya it was hilarious
Too bad they escaped, who knows how many people they keep fooling
😂
LOLOL! You perps just played yourselves....imma cop bitch!
You should definitely do more videos about internet pitfalls and scams. You're so informative and your audience loves and trusts you as a source and inspiration to continue to learn. It's a great opportunity for education, it's become so common during quarantine I'm sure Google is bursting with stories.
Can i offer u a stargazing in some park
Or all those fake modeling agencies 🤮 scary world out there, makes it hard to trust anyone
@DeN Capone l
Believe it or not I was scammed out of about a thousand dollars over a puppy that didn't exist during covid. I was in a vulnerable spot in life, it was heartbreaking stuff, felt like a total idiot. I just don't want those awful experiences for other people. I don't have a platform so I wish others talked about it more for the sake of getting the word out to other vulnerable folks.
He would’ve made a great teacher for sure. I mean he already is a teacher but ya know what I mean
I once went to a job interview with an ex girlfriend, when we arrived it felt weird because it was at an office complex but there was only about 4 car's there. I felt terrible because I had to use the bathroom when we got there so I went in with her I remember the embarrassing look on her face because I was fully dressed in my construction gear. When I got out of the bathroom I seen a look on her face of panic and fear so I hurried to her she said come on now! I figured she was mad at me so I didn't question we just left she wouldn't talk at first then we got about a mile down the road and she told me the interviewer gave her the chills and that once she went in the back the scene and vibe wasn't one of an interview it felt more like an examination and none of the people in the back would speak English they weighed her asked her blood type then the phone ring and the guy interviewing her got mad and asked why did she bring someone and then got real shifty so she stood up and bailed. I honestly didn't think anything of it but we coincidentally had to bring her son to the doctors a week later and his doctors office is about a mile down the road and that specific shopping the interview was in had a domino's pizza near by so we stopped and got a pizza we both had the same idea🤔💭 let's drive to the interview spot, we pull up there no cars in the lot at all we both walk up to the glass the place was empty. A sudden chill came through my body and I could hear her whisper thank you for being here that day😯 man talk about being scared after the fact🤐 this was in Rockville, MD 2014
Did you guys report it to the police or did you not even bother like most people
Few more commas would be nice.
@@jean-lucpicard5510 yea that was terrible 🤣🤣
Mitch literally saved her life. I need a friend like this who will show me things that I failed to see myself.
He went with her, told her they should go to the hotel and ask, told her to let the police know. 👏👏👏
lol you dont need a guy.
@@IsraelCountryCube I said a friend, doesn't have to be a guy
you need to use your brain
@@agauerm You should try to use it too. You need a mind to put yourself in others pov and see what they were thinking and the possibilities.
When people are in a state where they're shoked, embarrassed and feeling like shit, they fail to see things they were supposed to. Emotions affect your brain
@@tesaawilliams4997 The time for thinking non-emotionally was prior to getting on the plane. Flitting off based on Instagram posts and emails?
“Give us ur wallet and car keys”
Derek: *bold of u to assume I’m not a cop*
The fact he jumped out the car with his flashlight at the start and the van dude was like 'Oh-ho you're approaching me?!', they should have known he was too much for them.
hades what I commented had literally nothing to do with this 🤠 u good bro?
@@Josh_728 Not to mention the fact the cop said he had to drive for an hour to another town for the date but recognised fellow officers who turned up after he called 911.
And this is why chloroform exists.
I have plenty of cop friends who won't carry in certain situations. Maybe they assumed he wasn't carrying and not all cops are alpha personalities that will take control like that.
A girl meeting a guy for the first time and feeling safe and trusting me in the middle of a field in total darkness raises red flags for me that she’s not concerned for her safety so I should probably be concerned for mine
Exactly but most people think the opposite. Most people think… wow, she really likes me and trusts me….
That is a huge red flag for a woman to want to do something like that with a guy she’s never met. I would be thinking… no way. I’m
Not going way out in the woods somewhere and get murdered.
How did Derek know the officers if he was an hour away from home ?
Why did Barbara react so idiotically, assuming the man was a friend of Alyssa's? I can't believe she's so naive. Why she didn't call 911 right away after her daughter told her she didn't know him is a mystery time.
I can't believe Wendy is so naive. Obviously they were sex traffickers.
@@glendabarton45barton48 yes exactly my thoughts
I'm coming into this vid two years late, but this actually helped me realize that I came *very* close to being trafficked when I was 20. I'm still shaken after seeing this about two days ago.
Thank you so much for this. It was terrifying and personal.
Glad you are OK, that third story shocked me the most because I had a very bad feeling what was going on there, I find myself wanting to know if these particular individuals were caught because human trafficking is terrifying and abhorrent. It winds me up. I know 'Taken' isn't a horror movie technically, but it is scary because shit like that happens.
Storytime
This man even incorporates a story with the paid promotion. Can’t be mad at all
I like it more when they incorporate it. Makes it feel less like a paid promotion and more like just part of the story
hopefully raid shadow legends get in touch with him, would love to hear the story on that lol.
VPN's are not full proof. It keeps general software and amateurs out of your business but not dedicated "peeping" shall we say. Just remember that.
32:42. Gas prices $3.57 a gallon that must’ve been back during the Obama era! Thank God I’m paying $1.81 a gallon here in Fort Myers Florida
Dude's a boss, no doubt.
#1 with Derrick, I thought his judgment was super naive about going to a secluded area on a first date, but the fact that he had a concealed carry probably explains his overconfidence. Most extreme dating scenarios aren't that risky when you're packing heat.
Apendix carry with a spare mag my brotha
@@John-ik2eg thats not morally right. Maybe just the guy because he got physical
@@John-ik2eg I totally agree and was seriously annoyed he didnt pop them right there when she went to stand beside the guy.
@@John-ik2eg seriously. The least he could have done is wound them so they'd leave a trace. Rookie Mistakes.
@@John-ik2eg I know, but what I meant is, that he was a Rookie and would have likely missed the shot if he had shot, due to inexperience, thus that could have been the probable best outcome for him, in regards of the scenario developing to a capture.
Shout out to Mitch for being built like a nba player cause he saved that girls life
Dude spoiler
😎
Lmao
@@TheRealDahli dude watch the video
Any male would have been a turn off for these guys no matter how they are built
I like how when Mr Ballen is like “really you did this to me and points the gun as if she’s there” 😂
That's part of why his narrations are so great! It adds a layer to his storytelling
I agree, such a great story teller, really helps you picture the moment
I do too it's hilarious!
Dude was seeing someone in his mind haha
that really cracked me up loool
Who else cheered when Derek pulled out his gun and the idiots shat their pants. I was like YES!
Should’ve capped both when he had the chance
Confusing that they ran into the woods instead of trying to grab one of the many weapons in the back of the van 🤔
ikr
ikr
@Gucci Momaa hahahahaha wait...so you believe there is some sky lord that gives you the right to own a man made machine that has only been around for a tiny fraction of the existence of man? Why didn’t your god give man guns earlier if it’s so important to him that he gives you the right? And why does he only find a small group of people (USA) privileged enough to be given this right? Shouldn’t he make everyone on earth have this right if he is so powerful? You zealots are such a joke.
I love how the one trafficker looked Mitch up and down and was like hmmm maaayyybeeee
Bi-curious trafficker: This coouuld work...
Party pooper trafficker: God dammit how many times do I have to tell you!
Are men trafficked as well
@@wren9463 yeah but most of the time is small boys that can be cross dressed
@@wren9463 it’s disgusting
@@Teeglor 😂😂😂
Wendy seems extremely naive, it's a good thing her friend was there. I hope she now learned that if something seems too good to be true it's because it is.
I imagine why all of her friends who she invited never said a word of advice. I mean, if you see a friend of yours walking at a trap you should tell, right?
Yup.. if it's too good to be true it probably is.
@@nicolaicarius9001 I sure they did but she probably got angry with them
I mean.. The Instagram account had 10k followers.. She said she spoke to a woman.. She had a free plane ticket.. Kinda seems legit at first
It's common for influencers to be given free stuff, so without knowing much about the hotel in question it seems perfectly possible.
I wondered why she didn't want to document the arrival and being picked up for her Social Media bit. That might have raised a flag as the guys wouldn't have want to be filmed. I'm not sure what one guy could have done against two men with guns - maybe they didn't want to dispose of a corpse.
What is more mind blowing is that Wendy wasn't going to call the Police because she didn't think it was that serious 😱.
Did it not occur to her others might fall victim to this, and probably already have done.
This is the problem with promoting an individualistic society, no one gives a fuck or even thought about how other people might be affected, (unless it's how to empty their bank account)
First story I literally clapped when Derek took his gun out.
Just fucking beautiful 🤌🏻
are you crishtin
@@linley1081 bruh what
Yes. Criminals need to be afraid to confront people, that made me so happy.
This is why I am and always will be a 2A supporter
@@linley1081 u r krashchan?
I like the crime-comedy exchange between Derek and his supposedly-robbers when he realized he was catfished and in the process of getting robbed and possibly even kidnapped, but the way Mr. Ballen says Derek's line sounds more like he was just disappointed and lamenting about his unlucky relationship streak.
yeah lool
Derek should have played it that the police set Leia and creep up and he was arresting them. He should have made them go spread eagle on the ground. Maybe shoot big guy in the leg too.
@@daughterofpb"he should have lied & assaulted a man who had surrendered with a firearm" yeah, sure that will help with our rampant abuse of power from police, if we encourage them to abuse their power when they're off duty
I wish Derek told the two to get on the ground and then handcuffed them. That would've been the perfect comedy gold ending.
Scary to think you can buy an old account using it to trap and lure innocent lives into trafficking. I pray this reaches many influencers or just people in general who hear the story of this influencer who could've lost her life or ability to know life as she knows it. Stay safe everyone!
Right! She jus totally lucked out! N the fact that she sat there listening to them fight in another language in Miami n they had no professional mannerisms what so ever should've been enough to get outta there FAST
Nah. The less influencers the better this world will be.
@@brian4180 Yep
I WANTED TO LET EVERYBODY ON Mr BALLEN CHANNEL I LOVE YOU ALL OF U GUYS!
That’s exactly what I was wondering!
Who else stops everything and clicks on MrBallen? And also, Happy Veterans Day ( late ) MrBallen
Me 😂
I never turned off my computer so fast
I was watching a r/notlikeothergirls when it popped up on my screen so I watched this indtead
me rn, i was playing a game
Mr.ballen at 992k, tomorrow he’s hitting that 1 MILL sub mark.
Man if a COP can get catfished like this I will never feel stupid for small mistakes again.
@Richerd Hedd
More like con-fished; nothing in the story indicated that the woman in question used different photos to represent herself.
Have to remember he was very young (21), and never used online dating before. He wasn't a 20 year veteran.
@@AmazonElf and i am 16. 21 isnt that young dude
@@SARA-xh9zr no 21 is still very young
Cops are not smart
Story #1: I’m surprised Derek hadn’t mentioned he was a cop when they were getting to know each other. Seems like that would be one of the 1st things that would be brought up in conversation through the Tinder app.
Most cops don’t say they are cops, I’m thinking it would be more of a safety concern.
People don't like cops these days, maybe thinks in dating he can woo them so hard they'll change their opinion of cops... or maybe he's humble and didn't flaunt being a cop (unless asked) since he's just a rookie
be honest, if you going to meet someone for the first time, would you immediately tell them you’re a cop?
@@QillitakAbsolutely I would tell a girl I’m a cop. You never know, maybe someday I could be one.
It is like telling someone you just met that you are a tax auditor.....
I even enjoyed the paid promotion, how about that . What a true legend .
I really liked how he tied it in with his recurring like button gags 😂
I was thinking the same thing instead of switching channel, I enjoyed the whole video.☻🙂🤷🏿♂️
Its a good example of how paid promotions should be done. It should fit the channel and the video and still feel like the persons content. Good on you, Mr ballen! You keep doing this right. Don't let them twist you out of your feel
If I see Mr.Ballen adverting Raid shadow legends then I'm gonna start to question everything we know and love. All though I would be quite intrigued to see how he would pitch it...
@@trippyleaf4853 😂
i remember watching a show explaining a true story of a lady 'winning' a free vacation to some nice resort in south america. Turned out the cartel behind the 'giveaway' threatened her on the last day there and forced her to become a drug mule. They intentionally ratted her out to the airport security so that an even bigger mule would slip by the security as all the security would be focused on the lady.
genius plan ngl
Receipts? That doesn't sound right to me. What on earth would they threaten her with in order to force her to meet up with the people who were going to *traffic* her, shove a bag of potentially leaky/ lethal mystery drugs somewhere on or in her person, and then try to fly back home without alerting the authorities or ditching the drugs? It just doesn't add up.
@@torielric You need to understand that people react differently to those threatening situations. There are people that fight and others who give up and dont resist at all becasue they are full of fear. And maybe it is some gene or environmental affect of how they grew up I dont know maybe even a combination of those but some do go along with the threat in hopes it will all end somehow and they get away from the threat safely. So even if you and me think "how could they react like that I wouldnt do that". But to be honest if you are not in the middle of the experiacne yourself you dont really know how you would react you know. I hope and I guess that we wouldnt react like that and I guess most wouldnt but there are a few that would react like that. And sometimes the sad thing is that someone could have saved themself if they reacted differently but that is something we only know afterwards.
@@Kenny-yl9pc I'm aware that people react differently to threats. I just wanted to get a better understanding of her situation. That's why I asked for receipts, which I still want. It's more than a little odd that they contacted the police for the first interaction and then "completely give up" for the next interaction. The pattern of behavior doesn't match up.
@@Kenny-yl9pc what receipts are they talking about?
John: "I think I'm going to tell stories on TH-cam."
Everyone: "Uh, ok. Good luck with that." 🙄
MrBallen's channel: 992K subscriptions
It’s mental how quick his channel has grown it takes some you tubers over 8 years to get where he is.
Haha thanks!!!
from 992k - 993k in an hour
@da215th MaN nope, I think it was 969k, because I couldn’t believe how his subscriptions went up since then! Unbelievable. And I assume he’s going to hit 1 million in a couple days. Unbelievable! But I’ve been bing listening his stories for the past week LOL thus, not surprised how quickly his channel grew. Love the way he tells his stories!
The quality shows, and that's why the growth has been incredible.... People notice
In college, an online romance got pretty serious. They promised to marry me and pamper me and all I had to do was but a one way ticket to Australia and not tell anyone. That snapped me out of the wishful thinking. I cut off all contact. I only wish I had reported it, but I was a dumb college kid.
What happened
There is only one man, who Miami traffickers fear, one athletic man..
Mitch.
this is exactly what i was thinking lmfao
Muscle Man?
@@boykin740 Muscle Man Mitch
Avenger level threat
Who’s Mitch?
As soon as they asked for a ‘female friend’ to come with Wendy and we’re so adamant on it, that automatically drew red flags for me 🚩 🚩 🚩
2 for the price of 1... Israel does this all the time.. You arrive, they take your passport and then you are a sex slave
That was a definite red flag, but the much earlier red flag was knowing this is an internet booby trap story being told by Mr Ballen.
@@jonnyenough1531 do you really expect anything else from a terrorist organization?
@@jonnyenough1531 Like the Israeli government?
Yea right it literally screams pedophile territory ❌ she was so innocent and oblivious and that got her in that situation, but at the same time her innocence actually ended up saving her life.
My uncle is named Derek and hes a police officer who recently got dumped, and I was really concerned for a second until you mentioned Colorado
I would definitely watch a movie about the first story as long as Mr Ballen was the Director, I’d probably watch any movie Mr Ballen directed, this man is such a brilliant storyteller.
more of a screen writer - it would nowadays from start suit him
I’ve always skipped the whole “like button” spiel on every channel, but yours is the most unique and hilarious I have ever heard. You deserve the sub and like for sure!
For real, he’s one of the ink ones I constantly like!
Gotta get that view time, right?! 😂👏🏻
I still skip it.
@@Hextin **loads gun**
Exactly! His like button thing is always different and creative. But honestly I think that one day that like button is going to come storming out of their house with a plan up their sleeves to get MrBallen back for everything
i lived in miami for about three years and the first thing i was taught when i started school there was to be extremely careful when walking around and to never be alone because juman trafficking was one of the biggest problems in miami
Human* and yes very true
I'm glad you did this episode. You may have saved someone's life by telling the 3 stories as cautionary tales on what to watch out for while using social media apps.
Cautionary tales!!! If you're dumb enough to go to a secluded place, go outside at 3 am and travel to another state for a STRANGER you deserve everything you get!!! 🙄🤡
Doesn't matter so much these days. Most guys are done with dating tbh, most women are feminists at heart and want this new modern type relationship which doesn't work. Therefore guys are just done with dating and happy to be alone and have all that money and time for themselves
THE MOON IS OUT! PASTEY WHITE BUTT CHEEKS SEEN THRU ASSLESS CHAPS!
@@BlazeBudslmao what rock are you living under
You really did a great service by educating your audience to the possible dangers that truly do exist. And I never find the secret cuz I’m always just zoomed in on your next words. 🥰
“He drew his concealed carry pistol” Me: THATS WHAT IM TALKING ABOUT
idiots like that are police , thats what I wish I wasn't talkin about
@@bobsaturday4273 ... Lol! You f****** mush mind
Exactly. This should always be what happens to these criminals and murderers, especially in the US.
I would've been suspicious when the girl wanted to go to a secluded area for their first date. Lol what, no. Something's up with that chick.
Men and women alike, we should always _always_ only go to public places early on, until you're both comfortable and met each other's friends, communities etc. And don't get in their car. No tinder date is worth dying over. Stay safe.
@@bobsaturday4273 right, so if he hadn't had his conceal carry pistol he would've been robbed and who knows what else. But fuck him for being a cop right? I'd bet you couldn't walk and chew gum at the same time lmao.
Stargazing is a romantic date, for sure. But that's "established relationship" activity. Not "we literally just met for the first time less than an hour ago" activity.
I can disagree with that. I can see stargazing for a first date especially if one of the partners are extremely interested in that sort of thing. Maybe just stargaze in a more populated place though.
Shi I would go watch stars wit my boo to
I’m about 95% sure that was a fictional story. It was pretty well written but there were some glaring red flags. Mr Ballen uses so much detail in his story telling, so the made up ones are pretty easy to spot, even though they’re well written. Here are the red flags showing that story didn’t actually happen.
1) They spoke on the phone for weeks, yet somehow he never mentions his job? No, that’s likely going to come up in the first 3 minutes of getting to know each other. He was just a rookie patrolman. It’s not like he’s in the CIA and had to conceal his job.
2) If this guy was a cop for any longer than 2 days her behavior (frantic texting) after he got back in the car would’ve sent off alarms something was wrong.
3) They lived over an hour apart, but he recognized the cops that met him at the gas station. Mr Ballen refers to them as senior officers, inferring they’re in the same department. Nope! Unless he’s a State Cop, that’s just too far apart to be the same law enforcement group, even if they met exactly half way - roughly 25 miles is too far apart to work together. He couldn’t be a state cop either, he was too young. Nevermind the fact that they would’ve pulled the plug on the whole thing after seeing how aggressive he was the first time he encountered the van. She would’ve just made up an excuse to get out of there and they would look for an easier target later.
I think about 1/2 of these stories are pure fiction. With all the details he gives, if you can’t easily find proof of the story then it’s likely fake. They’re still well written and extremely well told. Just because they aren’t all real doesn’t make this channel any less amazing. It’s one of the best on YT.
@ladywharton Not always. I live in a country town where we have street lights and you can still stargaze somewhat. Not nearly as good as in the country away from town but it is possible, especially good enough for a first date with a stranger.
They had talked for weeks at that point
Moral of the story: Don't bring a pipe to a gun fight. (or maybe don't use Tinder)
I met my boyfriend of almost 4 months on Tinder and he hasn’t tried to fight me with a pipe... yet. (I’m jk he’s very sweet)
The moral be more like : bring a gun to your first date
@Stephen Murphy LMAO
I met my bf on discord lmao. Only one month as of now and he’s 18hrs away by car. I have pretty non-standard interests and I live in a relatively small town so dating sites aren’t really effective for me. I joke with him that even if he murders me I’m cool with that lol
“Always meet in a public place.” That was my rule, and we stayed in a public place on that date. That at least gives you time to get a line on who they are. If your gut says no, always listen.
I LOVE HOW HES HOLDING THE HAND PHONE AND THE GUN HAND WHILE CONTINUING TO TELL THE STORY !! PERFECT MR. B !!
I love that he barely uses any ads and yet posts such amazing content, and he tries so hard for his fans. Respect👏
he makes at the bare minimum 4k per video, he is trying hard for himself.
he keeps sending people after me
@@zipzip8239 Exactly!
Hey, he wants to invite you to be an influencer for a hotel btw.
@@zipzip8239 wow 4k that's crazy
“Do you read before bed?”
Me: “Nope! I refer to listen to dark and deranged stories. “
Me too
Ya i refer too 😆
Thanks for the stoned laughs, couldn't of read that at a better time 🤣👍
That's why I get 3 hours max, of sleep
Yeh haha 😂
This series of videos needs to be shown to every teenager as just a big huge life lesson.
I could agree with that !!!
Yeah I have some friends that would hop in a van with no second thoughts
@@joeloliver2279 That’s not smart lol
But most teenagers think they know best and r in a hurry to grow up. They won't listen but if they made them sit a exam after each story then at least they have that information available
Yeah this needs to shown in schools.
This isn’t an internet booby trap but it is a letter one, one that many teen girls unfortunately fall for. I was a senior and had just gotten home from school. I checked the mail and I had gotten a letter. It seemed real but something seemed off. I opened it and it was a letter addressed to me, notifying me that I had been selected to study in Europe, France to be exact. I never applied for anything like this. They had contacted numbers, emails, and more. Because my mother had sat down with me and taken the time and tell me about human trafficking and more, I knew it was fake. I showed it to my mother and we had reported it. I know something came of it but I never asked her the details about it. My friends told me that I missed out on a great opportunity….. this let me know how gullible teen girls can really be when their parents don’t tell them about reality.
Omg I got a letter exactly like that.. i was young , still in school & I wanted to go SOO bad. You just made me remember that.
I have a pretty crazy story about something that happened to my brother about 10 years ago. It didn't involve the internet, but he got set up, similar to the guy in the first story. My brother was at a local bar and met a girl who seemed cool. After a while, she asked if he wanted to go to a party. He agreed and they got into her car and drove off. She stopped at a house and told him she was picking up a couple friends and to wait in the car. After a couple minutes, three guys came out and got into the car. One in the driver's seat, and two in the back seats. They started the car and drove off. Immediately, my brother asked where the girl went. At that point, the guy in the back left seat pointed a gun at my brother and told him to start emptying his pockets. He pulled out his phone, a lighter, pack of smokes, and a little cash and they told him to give them his wallet. He lied and said he didn't have it on him, but they didn't believe him. They drove out on a long dirt road into a wooded area (this is in Oregon, so you don't have to drive far to be in the middle of nowhere), and forced him out of the car. They made him turn his pockets inside-out and told him to face the car while one of them started to pat him down. As soon as the guy found his wallet, my brother just turned and made a mad dash as fast as he could. He ran for a couple minutes, through thick brush and trees before coming to a dirt road, where he saw the lights from a house just up the road. He ran up to the door and started pounding on it. He told the person what just happened and they let him in to call the police. When the cops got there, my brother led them to the spot and they found shell casings, indicating they were shooting at him as he ran away. They said it's not uncommon for someone to not hear shots when they are on an adrenaline rush in that kind of situation. A couple months later, they ended up catching the girl who set him up and she ratted on all three guys. She was caught driving a stolen U-haul, full of somebody's stuff. As far as I know, those guys are still in prison.
people like her and her 'friends' deserver death penalty
@@timroddle3618 nope.
@@marbleb33s yep
@@atomicdeath10 nope
@@app_les2130 Yep.
The 2nd story, I wish the grandma hadnt made it known that she was calling the police on the guy because it gave him a chance to get away before the police arrived. But, maybe she thought he would get inside before they'd arrive.
Gradma was an idiot.
I agree. I would have been quiet and let him think we were hiding and not calling anyone so he would caught. I'm sure she was afraid he would get in the house tho, being so persistent.
I don't know, when granny and little princess don't know police will come and there is some random guy who knows the name... if I was one of the females, I would want that guy to dissappear ASAP not carrying if he would be caught or not
Nah when ur in that situation first thing you think about it is not being harmed, not if you can ge this guy caught
Agreed! I believe in having a firearm for protection within the home!
Love how you had us at gunpoint while you called the pretend police.
He explains it like he was there
@@benxcell that what kills me lol
Don't you get it? This IS Leah. She did the same thing to me under the name Francis. She's not just a catfish, she's a gafftopsail
Lmaoooo
F
You definitely have a gift when it comes to story telling! Keep the stories coming :)
I believe Derrick's date was Kimberly Kessler. She moves all over the country and has used 17 aliases. She worked in a salon right out of Jacksonville in Nassau County and is suspected of killing her co-worker Joleen Cummings whose body has never been found. Kimberly is locked up but Derrick needs to google the photo of when she was first arrested because her looks have changed drastically.
Case closed. This guy ⬆️ figured it out. Everyone can sleep soundly now.
Wow really Stressed?? That's scary. You should tell someone tho. Imo
I don't think that story is true, I couldn't find anything on it.
woah that’s kinda creepy, i just looked her up and the details sound kinda similar
@@slothmarathonpromotions2470 YES, everyone check out Mr. Top-Notch-Detective! Evidence and everything, right on the table. I mean, there can't have been two female killers active in the USA at once, right? They have to be the same one. CASE CLOSED!
I don’t know what it is about this guy but I’m a 100% straight dude but I can’t stop looking at his face and his voice soothes me for some reason
haha awesome!
@@MrBallen
Do you have a mancrush? 🤣
This is how I am with some authors. We are friends now but you don't know it. 🤣
Lol
I’m in the living room watching this video on the tv and my father(60 years old/ 20 year Vet) walks in and says “I watch this guy a lot”. Don’t know why that just blew my mind. Guess the fact that my father watches the same random shit as me is pretty funny.
I bet what surprised you had more to do with not expecting older people to be interested in this kind of thing....heh. It's like, back when rock music was new, not expecting older people to love the music. Preconceptions.....
@@TheEudaemonicPlague Not really. Because me and my dad actually like some of the same music and movies. I’m just honestly surprised he knows how to use TH-cam 😂
not surprising , great minds think alike
"...Honey, come and help me with this door in the basement..."
I'm 60 also. Finished chemo in June and going through several surgeries. Got a bacterial infection after the last one. Couldn't move, but John is a great story teller, so I would fall asleep listening to his voice telling great stories. 60 is the new 30. ;)
first story was so satisfying! I feel bad for poor Derick tho, he'll probably never date on tinder again but he got 2 bad catfishers
'just give us your keys and wallet, we dont want to hurt you' (has torture van right behind them)
Exactly..
And how many serial killers have said that to their victims before killing them?
@@Sinvention 90 percent
@@pennywagner1608
AKA too many 😶
@@Sinvention .
As a vet myself not a sof just a jar head. It’s good to see that there’s hope for others to succeed outside of the structure of the military!. Just wanted to say thanks.i believe this is a positive and strong symbol for others, that feel lost and unsure of themselves.
Thank you for your service!
@@JacobASmith59, thank you for saying that!. I don’t believe you’ll ever know exactly how much that very message helped at the perfect timing!. It’s honestly still remarkable it came in when it did. Thank you!!!, you’ll never know in a million years just how important that message was just then!. I’m still literally shaking!. You have my utmost appreciation for that amazingly timed message!!!. Thanks again!!!,
@@flatbedhaulingwithscottn6111 Thank you so much for sharing! Best wishes. I'll subscribe to your channel rn as welll!
Have you met any seals in person, are they as cool as we think
@@DanVerbatim I've dm'd with a few before. I've talked to Mr.Ballen, he's awesome.
I enjoy it so much when the story ends with a good guy winning, and not been cut into pieces!!
Love how mr. Ballen went to defend the guys awkward joke in the first story “but when he looked over at Leah to react to his hilarious joke”
The last one. Bringing Mitch with her ended up saving her. I don't know how they didn't click that they were human trafficers when they started to get so upset that she didn't have a girl with her.
Easy to say that in retrospect tho
Mr.Ballen’s kids on a camping trip, sitting around the campfire at night: Dad, tell us a scary story!
Mr.Ballen: I thought you’d never ask 😈😈😈
Jessica Hutchins oh god why 😓 he's gonna have his kids not sleep
OR, "HEY! You guys wanna hear a scary story?" 😁
"We've heard them all, dad. 100's of times." 😧🙁🙁🙁🙁
@@jenniferhutchins5752: WOAH! 😃
I highly doubt they'd have to ask.😃
That’s funny
My husband is legitimately concerned bc of all the “dark content” I’ve been watching on TH-cam. It’s really just me binging all of MrBallen’s content
If you really want to freak him out, ask him if his food tastes ok at dinner time, then ask him if he feels ok after dinner. Lol
My favorite is the Missing 411 videos.
Tell him to man up
Haha. Give a listen to some true crime podcasts. Sword and Scale episodes will make you nauseous. Especially the first few episodes. I listen and watch things that go into detail about pretty dark stuff and one of those episodes was the only thing I've ever stopped when my husband came in because I was worried about what he'd think of me for listening to.
My husband was too. Because when I found mrballen I couldn't get enough until I had finished every single upload from him...I also love that chapter Mike's accent is awesome and my 2nd favorite storyteller....I can close my eyes and fall Asleep to these without having to keep my eyes open every second
I knew the world was a scary place. But Mr. Ballen has helped me realize that it is even scarier than I imagined. I'm constantly warning my family about the lessons I've learned from these stories.
These three stories might be the most important ones I've learned from.
Mitch was that girls angel. As soon as I heard them screaming at me about another girl I would’ve let myself out got my friend out. Still could’ve been bad. Good Job Mitch
Basically he saved her life.
"There's a park i run all the time"
*proceeds to guide him through a secluded road in the middle of nowhere* .... uuhh... 😨
lol i would have been asking questions the whole ride there
Hey It's AcidGlow the predator/alien guy
@@mr.johnnyg.3103 Quality Likes Quality ❤️👍.
@@FOXCYBORGNINJA you said it brother
This made me think of the pizza delivery guy being sent in the middle of nowhere to dead radio station. Where they ran a meth lab. Omg, it was terrifying, at what point do you not follow your gut feeling and turn around, you know.
Man, that grown creepy man visiting the little teenage girl at 3am with an accomplice in the 2nd story is a scary reminder of the type of creepos out there that just aint wired right in head. I guess Story 1&3 fits that category too
With a pfp like yours I guess you're aren't as worried as others might be lol. It's a dangerous world out there. Stay safe out there
It bothered me that the grandma called the police so loudly. She could have whispered it and said to him ‘hang on she’s getting ready’ or something like that. So they could have caught them.
@@guiniverebehounek6174 I disagree. If you try underhanded shyster bull crap like that, to someone AT YOUR RESIDENCE... You must think they're going to lock him up for more than a night. Those people were already anticipating hurting someone, don't challenge that, believe it.
Didn’t know you were a SEAL John! My Dad is a retired SEAL Team 3 Veteran. Thank you for your service! ❤️ I feel like we’re family now. 😊
Wendy must’ve had her red flag o meter turned off before she went like he’s yelling where’s the other girl over and over that’s in itself counts as 1,000 red flags
Exactly. I would have hopped out the car at that point.
I would not have let them drive me anywhere.
Agreed! As soon as MrBallen started saying that I immediately thought "they wanted to traffic them as sex slaves". She was INCREDIBLY lucky. I can't imagine having that happen... all those poor people :(
Question is what Shek did the drivers crew work for ?
The moment they specified a gender for the +1 was a red flag for me! I was wondering why she didn't contact the hotel by googling their number to verify and ask questions at that point.
In regards to the first story, when dating someone for the first time--especially anyone whom you met only online--always select a location that has other people around. That is, a bar, cafe, restaurant, or other business. Do not meet a stranger at some remote location, such as a park, especially at night.
What have you got against Fields, Tom?
@@Mistabutts Its your butt on the line mister
She was hinting they were going to do the horizontal mambo in the dark in the park, and he fell for it.
The problem with this is that... Everything still would have happened EVEN IF the first date was at a bar... Because she would have just done it on the second date and he would have let his guard down more. The problem is that most people drop the suspicion once they find out the other party IS the person they actually think they are. She was the girl in the tinder pics, so to him, he didn't have any reason to doubt her.
if you had actually watched the video, you'd know that the dude had no idea the location was gonna be so remote
On the last story, remember - "If it sounds to good to be true, it usually is." My daughter nearly fell into such a trap in Lexington, Kentucky. She called home and ask me what I thought of her flying (at her own expence) to Florida to be a jewelry model. I talked her out of the idea.
You raised her up well. Good for you. Bless you and your family.
You good parent
Omg... I've noticed ur last name is delashmit do u know a tyler?
@@AlexNowak1 No. It is my married name. There are a lot of DeLashmits in Memphis Tennissee.
O. Oops🤣🤣
Telling these stories is a public service, thanks MrBallen. I remembered an incident that happened to me decades ago, I was being fitted for a jacket in a tailor's store (that also served women) and the assistant said something about how he was a photographer and would love to have me be his model. Well I was self-aware enough to know it would be ridiculous to think about being a model, and just looked at him incredulously. But even years ago people were trying on these scams.
These damn videos are like potato chips.
Can’t have just one.
Lmao this is the best comment.
Underrated comment!!
And very unfortunate for people such as myself who probably should have started doing homework roughly 72 hours ago.
@@benderisgreat5059 ~ 😂😂😂
Time
For a diet!
Go get busy!
@@izzojoseph2 naaaahhhhh. I got time.
Cop or not a concealed carry made all the difference in story one of Derrick going from potentially a victim to being viewed as a challenge , but why didn’t they chose a better weapon than pipes ? We’re they like on level 1 of a video game in their minds ?
Stupid is on the job description for criminals.
@@leeneufeld4140 good. I hope they are never smart because story 1 could've been really bad
Lucky for them he was a cop. If I'd been in Derrick's place, I'd have shot both of them. And kept shooting until they were good and dead, too. Not that I'd go off to some blanking field...with a stranger...at night.
A very similar situation happened to me and my concealed revolver saved my life....I would not be here if I didn't have my S & W model 10 revolver
I’m assuming they wanted to kidnap him or something and wanted to keep him alive so if they had to use force a gun would be devastating especially since if the wound is severe they can’t exactly go to the nearest hospital seeing as they’re criminals, so a pipe would be better. They also didn’t know he was carrying a weapon so they had no reason to suspect that they would need extra force.
WENDY was more focused on how embarrassed she was over realizing her decision to bring Mitch SAVED HER LIFE?!....GLAD HE WAS WITH!
to be fair mitch didn’t have to do much lol
Wendy was so emberrased and become a companny and became bankrupt and sold the companny to mitch
Thank you for keeping us so entertained, you are my favorite story teller ! I love that you are humble too🙏
It's hard to describe how these 3 stories stressed me out more than any of the Ghosts, Skinwalkers, or Alien abduction stories.
I think it's because they feel so much more like they could happen to anyone. Well, anyone gullible on the last one, particularly.
probably because they’re actually grounded in reality?
probably because they're reality and not fiction. Reality is much darker.
Because these stories CAN actually happen to ANY of us.... I feel what you mean.
coz the other ones have the safety net of being paranormal which a lot of people dont believe in. these are real people, doing things to other real people
I hope parents are teaching their kids about internet safety because this is terrifying and our dependence on social media and phones is only getting worse and worse.
i try teaching that to my niece not to trust people online
And you have your full birth name on a major social media... You do know anyone can use your name to find out all your personal information. Just making you aware of those dangers. Use a made up name for your own safety. Your a pretty girl and there are a lot of creepers. Just looking out for you 💕👍
So glad my son doesn't have any desire to create any social media accounts. Like mother like son I guess!? Maybe we're just both old souls! ¯\_(ツ)_/¯ God kids can be brutal and straight savage; I think I'm more worried about bullying than potential predators.
@@robinmcinarnay7827 I hear what you are putting down! Bullying is one of the reasons young kids commit suicide 😔
So sad. I knew someone who did because he was so tormented in school and on social media! Sounds like you have a wonderful son.
A lot of parents aren't teaching their kids sh*t, they're handing them an iPhone or whatever and leaving them to it so they don't have to bother with their child.
I’m from Miami and that last story is a very very very true thing out here. Be very careful people.