Tracy man victim of Tinder scam

Tracy — What George Stewart, 22, thought was a deep connection, came to a grinding halt Tuesday. The very moment he e-transferred $1,800 to this online squeeze Anna Harmon, she went silent.

Tinder, A GPS-based dating application, allows users to anonymously match with others based on a few pictures and a brief writeup. Its popularity has exploded as a socially acceptable way to meet singles.

Stewart explained he and the woman had been messaging each other for weeks; they had instant chemistry and there was deep trust. Conversations were robust with future plans, and were sometimes quite erotic. “Early in our relationship we started texting. I didn’t recognize her area code, did a quick Google search, and it was a Nevada number,” he explained. He was skeptical but she claimed it was an old cellphone and she had not gotten around to changing her number yet.

Days before their initial rendezvous, Anna fell upon hard times. Her car broke down and she needed help with rent money. George didn’t think for a second that she was anything but his “girlfriend” in distress. He immediately e-transferred her $1,800, which she insisted she would have in cash when they met in person. The money was sent, and he texted her immediately to confirm she received the funds. He waited and waited for the 3 grey balls to begin dancing on the bottom of his iPhone screen, but they never danced. He panicked and tried to call her for the first time, but her phone had been disconnected.

“I feel sad, not because I was duped out of my savings, but because I’m heartbroken. I loved her,” Stewart explained as a single tear streamed down his chubby, acne-riddled face.