Man watches her TikTok videos and learns everything about her to seem compatible on first date. Then she catches him: ‘You met a Landon’

A first date used to be undeniably unexpected. Once upon a time, people would walk blindy into meeting a stranger in hopes of clicking. Now, modern dating has transformed into a hellscape where a someone simply interested in you can unearth personal information as long as they own a cellphone and have internet access.

Forget the romcom butterflies and sparks, this woman’s first date horror story was straight out of an episode of “You.”

“Do you guys want to hear a story about a guy that I went on a date with who watched every single one of my TikToks and basically learned my entire life and interests and used it in conversation to make it seem like we’re super compatible?” TikTok create Leslie (@caldo.de.les). “It just happened this morning.”

Then, she recalls the story to over 1.4 million viewers.

First, she painted a scene of how they met on a dating app, chatting until it had fizzled. A month later, the man resurfaced, messaging her constantly until his tenacity paid off.

“He’s sending multiple messages a day and it’s nothing crazy,” she says. Flattered, she decided to accept his invitation for a first date. “ I really appreciate the effort, so let me take him up on the offer,” she says.

With everything arranged, the man slid into her messages the day before to confirm the brunch date.

“‘I just wanted to let you know that I just started fasting and working out, so I can’t have a big meal,’” he told the content creator.

It seems pretty innocuous, right? At the time, yes. Now? Not really. “Mind you, I just posted that I started my weight loss journey two and a half weeks ago,” the content creator says. “I’ve lost 11 pounds, and I’m fasting.”

What Happened On This First Date?

Shrugging it off, Leslie met up with him at a restaurant where they started discussing their ideal partner. Right off the bat, the first of many alarm bells rang.

“Immediately he starts telling me about myself.” How?

“‘I would really like a hardworking woman; I don’t really care if she has kids, I would really like someone that takes care of others,’” she recalls him saying, noting she is a mother to a teenage son and works as a nurse.

Unfortunately, these warning signs were the content creator hadn’t picked up on yet. “I haven’t clocked it, OK?” she says. “I’m thinking this is organic, that we’re compatible and that this is amazing.”

It Gets More Bizarre

When the topic shifts to interests, the dots slowly began to connect.

“Grey’s Anatomy,” “Chainsaw Man,” and other anime she had discussed online were also “coincidentally” his beloved TV shows. As Leslie grew suspicious, she pulled a reverse Uno by asking who his favorite Chainsaw Man character was.

“He literally goes, ‘Chainsaw Man,’” she recalls him saying, adding. “And I said, ‘Oh, mine’s Brody.’”

The kicker? The character doesn’t exist, and it was her sister’s dog’s name. Consequently, the man unknowingly took the bait hook, line, and sinker. “He’s like, ‘He’s so sick,’” she recalls him replying. 

Once the dialogue moved onto traveling, it kept speeding toward a downhill slope.

“Where is somewhere you wanted to go?” the content creator asked him.

However, it wasn’t exempt from his tactic, knotting her stomach in disgust.

“‘I’ve always wanted to go to New York City,'” she remembers him saying, adding, “‘My dream is to go to the New York Public Library to just sit there and read. I’ve always thought about it and I feel like it would just change my life.’” 

Of course, this was another mirrored answer. “I literally made an entire video talking about how that was my dream, how I got to live it and how I was so happy,” Leslie shares. All of a sudden, the veil had lifted from her eyes. “That’s when I clocked it.”

The Final Nail In The Nightmare First-Date Coffin

Although she understands social media is a public platform, her profile weaponized against her was the last thing on her mind.

“I never thought my content would be used the way it’s being used in this situation,” she says. “It just felt so gross and wrong.”

Her blood boiling, she turned the tables. “What do you think of social media?'” she recalls asking him. “‘What kind of content do you like?'”

However, her hobby she does for fun was his answer that fueled her rage. “He likes TikToks about how to be a content creator and I’m [expletive] off.”

After Leslie prodded about content she created under her username, the cat was out of the bag.

“I could tell he kind of got uncomfortable,” she describes. “Did a double take.”

Attempting to shrug it off, the man replied, “‘I actually do think, now that you mentioned it, that your TikToks have crossed my For You page once or twice, which makes sense because if you have my phone number, because you know, it says ‘find my contacts or whatever.'”

Subsequently, the content creator scrutinized him; he cracked under the pressure.

“‘I really wanna be a content creator. I’m sick of my job, and I feel we both have things that the other person wants and I feel we help each other,” she recalls him saying, adding another nauseating regurgitated response. “‘The only thing I want from a relationship is companionship. A partner in crime, someone to do life with.’”

Not standing it any longer, she swiftly cut the date short, but not before calling him out. “You’re [expletive] creepy,'” Leslie remembers saying. “I grabbed my phone off the date, [left and immediately] blocked him.”

What Did Viewers Think?

In the comments section, the incident collectively sent chills down many viewers’ spines.

“That is soo creepy… so glad you caught this!” one viewer commented.

“You met a Landon,” another stated, referencing how fans speculate that former influencer couple Wizard Liz and ex-fiancé Landon Nickerson met in an airport in Greece wasn’t a fluke.

“Queen you dodged that bullet,” a third said.

Moreover, others chimed in with their own similar experiences.

“[Happened to] me last week. Same strategy, same mind game,” one commenter revealed.

A second shared, “Happened to me recently too, about books. He told me he wanted to write a book, told me he writes poetry, etc.”

Is This A Common Phenomenon?

Scoping out a potential first date has become prevalent in the digital age. A study reported by One Love found that 75% of women and 59% of men check out their date’s social media page prior to meeting. While it can be unsettling crafting a portfolio of information, it can serve as an extra layer of precaution, especially for females and transgender individuals, according to HuffPost. 

For instance, vetting them can be beneficial. Searching for any flags and verifying the suitor’s identity can be helpful in protecting not only your heart but your safety. It’s what this Toronto woman did who uncovered a shocking secret four dates too late.

On the other hand, this investigation can easily cross a fine line into the extreme. Plunging down a rabbit hole so deep into their past and present, leaving no rock left unturned about their life, is far beyond breaking boundaries. Knowing they secretly have a sweet tooth, binge-watch movies on the weekend, or that Aunt Carol works as a bank teller without them disclosing it can be off-putting.

Instead, asking open-ended questions about each other is great for conversation and connection. As a security measure, be intentionally selective of what you share if you have a public online presence.

@caldo.de.les You never know who’s watching ? #dating #storytime #creepy #datingstorytime ♬ original sound – Leslie ??‍⚕️?️??

The Mary Sue reached out to Leslie via TikTok comment and direct message.

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