The “Jennifer from SayHi” Scam: A Case Study

Online dating can be a minefield. This week I had another encounter that perfectly illustrates how skilled scammers can sound — and how quickly they move once they think they have a mark.

The profile in question was “Jennifer, 36, nutritionist from Rochester, NY.” She reached out through the SayHi app, then immediately migrated the conversation to WhatsApp — a classic red flag.

Her opening line on WhatsApp was cheerful:

“Hi, it’s Jennifer from SayHi! you wanna sing for me 🤭”

Unusual request, right? Within minutes of meeting, she wanted me to record a song and send her a voice note. When I offered to do a live call instead, she dodged:

“Voice call will be just it! 🤭 but my apartment network has been acting up when on calls for a few days now 😔. So we’ll have to do a recording.”

That’s scammer playbook 101 — excuses to avoid live video or audio. Later, she went straight to personal questions:

“What’s your marital status? Kids? How old are you and what’re you looking for on SayHi?”

When I answered, she mirrored me with a suspiciously similar life story:

“Well I’m also divorced, no kids… also looking to meet someone real and ready to mingle.”

The mask slipped when I challenged her to prove she was real:

“Make a video and say my name.”

Instead of complying, she deflected:

“Well! To be sure you’re also real, hold a paper with my name on it and I’d do the same.”

At this point, I ended the charade. I told her straight up that I knew it was a scam, even rating her performance:

“It was a nice run, I give you 8/10. Your English is good.”

Her reply? Pure sarcasm:

“Lmao 🤣 I give you 4 out of 10, you tried your best but just couldn’t get there 😉.”

With that, I dropped the hammer by sending her a link to my anti-scam blog. The game was over — she knew she’d been exposed. Rather than argue, she bailed with one last laugh.

What We Can Learn

• Fast migration off-platform = red flag. If someone insists on WhatsApp right away, beware.
• No video calls = almost certainly a scam. Excuses like “bad network” are a dead giveaway.
• Mirroring your story = script. Scammers often copy your answers to build false rapport.
• Odd requests (like singing) may be grooming tactics, or ways to capture your voice for identity theft.
• Don’t be afraid to push back. Asking for a live video or personalized verification exposes scammers quickly.

Stay Safe, Nerd Harder

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