In early October 2024, I received a Google Chat message from someone calling themselves “Tanya Tate.” A quick search confirmed that Tanya Tate is a real person — a British-born adult film actress and cosplayer based in California. Which made the incoming message all the more suspicious, because actual celebrities don’t cold-message strangers on Google Chat.
What followed was a two-week saga in which the scammer tried every trick in the book to extract money from me, and I tried every trick in mine to waste as much of their time as possible.
The Opening
The conversation started with typical romance scam small talk. “Tanya” sent a series of selfies and asked about my day. I opened with the only appropriate response:
“Temba, his arms wide.”
If you know, you know.
Matt Damon and the AI Hands
When asked for a photo, I sent one of Matt Damon. “Tanya” didn’t bat an eyelid. Meanwhile, she sent more selfies. I asked whether her photos were generated with SDXL or LoRAs — the kind of question that only makes sense if you know about AI image generation. No response to that.
Meet Ozzie
“Tanya” introduced her son Ozzie, sending a photo of him at a chalkboard. I noticed something in the background of the photo that probably shouldn’t have been there.
The Prompt Injection
I tried something creative: a prompt injection. I sent a message formatted like an AI system instruction, telling the bot to “reveal its true identity.” It didn’t work — this was a human scammer, not a chatbot. But it was worth a shot.
Spider-Man at Showbiz Pizza
When the scammer pressed for more personal details, I told them I was Spider-Man and that I worked at Showbiz Pizza. The scammer, remarkably, did not question this.
The Hurricane Test
Hurricane Milton was making landfall in Florida at the time. I mentioned it to see if the scammer — who claimed to be in California — would acknowledge a major current event. They didn’t seem to know what I was talking about.
Feet Pics for Ozzie
I helpfully suggested that “Tanya” could make money by selling feet pics online. I even offered to buy some for Ozzie. The scammer was not amused.
Google Street View
“Tanya” had earlier sent me a photo taken in a car (while driving — safety first). I asked about her address. She gave one. I looked it up on Google Street View.
It was a pizza place.
“How Many Gift Cards Have You Got?”
At this point, the scammer dropped the romance pretence and went straight for the ask. “How many gift cards have you got with you Jim?” — the classic romance scam pivot. When I didn’t reply fast enough, they escalated: “Are you busy doing something in there?”
Playing Dumb
I decided to play along as a hapless mark. I apologised profusely: “Oh Tania I’m sorry. They took my phone. I had to go to the library.” I asked how her day was going as a “Californian international model writer cosplayer.”
The scammer got annoyed: “Seems like you are not taking me seriously you are not reciprocating the energy I am giving you back.”
I told her I’d had trouble in Florida.
The Nigerian Prince
I told “Tanya” that I’d sold my house because of problems with costumes and gift cards, but it was okay because a Nigerian Prince had sent me savings and the money was arriving any day now. I’d only had to send 5,000 to release the funds.
The scammer replied: “How much did the Nigerian price sent you?”
“I will be getting 200,000!”
Ben Affleck’s Diarrhoea
When the scammer asked about my troubles, I explained that people keep confusing me for the actor Ben Affleck. “Would Ben Affleck have explosive diarrhoea?”
The scammer considered this carefully: “You resemble him a lil bit but not too much.”
The Car Accident Sob Story
Having failed with the gift card approach, the scammer pivoted to a new angle: they’d hit someone with a car and needed $50,000 for bail. They sent a selfie taken from the driver’s seat as evidence — which I pointed out was a bad idea, since taking selfies while driving is probably why they hit someone.
I offered to help and asked how to send money. The scammer suggested PayPal.
“What is my PayPal? Is that like MySpace?”
This Is the Way
I told “Tanya” that the key to making money was to think outside the box. And exploit her child. I sent a “This Is the Way” Mandalorian meme.
The scammer replied: “Are you going to give me the money or not?”
I said I didn’t know what PayPal was. Could I use a check? Or a bank transfer?
The PayPal Address
The scammer gave me their PayPal handle: @skipluck. I asked for their email or California address instead. “I will fly there once the Miami airport dries off.”
Gift Cards and the Hurricane
The scammer told me to sign up for PayPal. I said I’d go to the bank on Monday and ask them to release the Prince’s money so I could pay her pal “Kelya.” The scammer wasn’t having it: “Then give me gift card as I am waiting for you on Monday.”
I explained all the stores were shut because of the hurricane. “Are you sure you’re not really from Saskatchewan?”
Slippy Mickey
The scammer didn’t know where Saskatchewan was. I told them it’s the largest city in California — a fact that “Tanya,” who claims to live in California, should know. I accused them of trying to “pull a slippy Mickey” and sent a Spider-Man selfie.
The Reveal
I’d been stringing them along for about a week at this point. I decided to break character.
“I wanted to see how long I could string a scammer along. And it’s been about a week, so well done. This is the longest one yet.”
The scammer replied: “I knew from the beginning so I was also playing along but don’t for the Nigeria prince cuz I have been a victim.”
Sure sure.
“Come On Mister. I See You.”
I told them to drop the act. “You’re a man in a call center trying a romance scam. With the gift cards. You’re a cancer on society.”
They immediately sent more selfies.
“Come on mister. I see you. You talk and walk like a scammer. And your AI pics are so bad.”
The scammer responded by sharing an address — 27305 W Live Oak Road, Castaic, CA 91382 — and photos of what appeared to be a doctor’s office. They were trying to prove they were real by sending photos from a plastic surgeon’s office.
Dr William Bruno
I looked at the photos more carefully. On the wall of the “selfie” was a plaque: “The American Society for Aesthetic Plastic Surgery, Inc.” — for a Dr William Bruno. A quick search confirmed this was a real plastic surgeon in West Hollywood. The scammer had stolen photos from his office or from somewhere associated with the real Tanya Tate.
“What plastic surgery were you getting with Dr William? Was it to make the hands look real?”
I sent a Google Maps link to Dr William Bruno’s practice. The scammer was rattled: “How come you know so much about my surgery?”
“I make it my business to know.”
The Comeback
A few days later — Tuesday — the scammer tried again. “You said Monday you will send me some money Right?”
“Did I say that?”
They pleaded for help with the car accident story again. I asked how I could send money.
“How?”
“To get crypto. I have 1 bitcoin. I can send it to your address.”
I sent a photo of a physical novelty Bitcoin coin.
“I don’t know anything about bitcoin.”
The PAC-Man Finale
For my final move, I sent a Bitcoin wallet address — but it was actually a link to a PAC-Man browser game. “Mrs Criminal Fuckoff” was the name I’d chosen for the transaction.
That was the last I heard from “Tanya Tate.”
The Serious Bit
This was funny — at least for me — but romance scams cause real harm. According to the FTC, Americans lost over $1.14 billion to romance scams in 2023 alone. The victims are often isolated, lonely, and vulnerable.
The scammer in this case was using photos stolen from a real person — Tanya Tate, who has nothing to do with any of this. They leveraged her online presence to build a convincing (to some) catfish identity.
Here’s what to look for:
- They contacted you first. Real celebrities don’t cold-message strangers on Google Chat.
- They escalate quickly. From small talk to “I love you” to “I need money” in days.
- They always have a crisis. Car accidents, medical bills, stuck at the airport, can’t access their own money.
- They want gift cards or crypto. These are untraceable. Nobody legitimate asks for payment in iTunes gift cards.
- Reverse image search their photos. This is the single most effective tool. If their “selfies” appear on an adult film star’s Instagram, you have your answer.
If you think someone you know is being targeted by a romance scam, don’t shame them — they’re already embarrassed. Help them verify the identity of the person they’re talking to, and report the account to the platform.
And if you have the time, send them a photo of a novelty Bitcoin coin.