Woman goes shopping at Target. Then she says 3 men start following her: ‘I was shaking so bad’

A woman has sparked alarm on TikTok after saying three strangers followed her around while she was shopping at Target.

In a video posted to the platform, content creator Ariya Marie (@thatasiangirl2000) explains what happened and says this is not the first time she has felt followed at that location. Her video got over 194,400 views and more than 600 comments.

What Went Wrong at Target?

Marie films the video from her car and says she is sharing the story because similar situations have happened to her before.

“I just got followed in Target again by three men, and I feel like it was a trafficking attempt,” she says. “I don’t know. But I’m sharing this because this has happened to me way too many times.”

She says she had gone into Target to pick up a prescription. While walking toward the pharmacy line, she noticed a man in a blue shirt standing in an aisle and talking on the phone.

“Immediately, I’m on guard because, like I said, I’ve been followed at this Target multiple times,” she says.

Then, while she was waiting in line, she says she noticed a second man in a striped shirt walking toward the pharmacy area and staring at her.

After picking up her prescription, Marie says she walked around the store with her dog and went to the dog aisle. That is when she says she passed the man in the blue shirt again and then ran into a third man in a black hoodie.

“I run into him, like, face to face, and he just stares at me and then walks away,” she says.

When she turned around again, Marie says the man in the striped shirt was now in the same
aisle.

“At this point, I’m like, no, I’m leaving. This is sketchy,” she says.

Marie says all three men were separate but seemed to be on the phone. She says she believed they may have been talking to each other.

Then She Says They Followed Her to Checkout

She then headed toward checkout. According to Marie, all three men also came out of an aisle and started walking toward checkout separately.

At that point, Marie says she wanted to tell a worker what was happening, but the man behind her kept talking to her and moving closer.

“He kept getting so close to the point it was like he was touching my arm,” she says.

As soon as she finished checking out, Marie says she turned to a Target worker and asked if someone could walk her to her car.

“I said, behind me, there’s a guy in a striped shirt with long hair, and then in front of him, there’s a guy in a black hoodie. Do you see him?” she recalls. “She said, yes, I do.”

Marie says other workers came over as she explained what was happening. She then says she saw the man in the striped shirt and the man in the black hoodie whisper something to each other and leave separately.

Marie did not want to leave alone. “I’m not leaving without someone walking me to my car,” she says.

She says three male employees eventually walked her outside for extra safety. As she left, she says the man in the striped shirt “darts out,” runs to his car, starts it, and leaves.

“I was shaking so bad,” Marie says. “I was trying to make sure I wasn’t being followed by anybody.”

She ended the video by warning other women and young girls to trust their instincts.
“If you feel uncomfortable, if you feel unsafe, ask a worker to walk you to your car,” she says. “They will always walk you to your car and let them know what’s going on.”

Is This a Common Occurrence at Target?

Stories about women feeling followed in big-box stores often go viral, and many of them use the language of human trafficking. But experts have repeatedly said that this is usually not how trafficking works.

According to a report by The Shelter for Abused Women & Children, Amanda Evans, an assistant professor of social work at Florida Gulf Coast University who has researched human trafficking for years, said trafficking is very rarely a quick “snatch and go” crime. Traffickers are more likely to build a relationship with a vulnerable person, often by targeting people like runaway teens or young homeless women.

However, a strange man following someone around Target may absolutely be scary. It may even mean the person has bad intentions. But statistically, experts say that does not automatically mean it is human trafficking.

Being Followed Around a Store Can Be Dangerous

Even if trafficking is not the most likely explanation, being followed in a store or parking lot can still be dangerous.

Recently, in 2025, a Louisiana man was arrested after authorities accused him of following a woman inside a Target store, then kidnapping and raping her outside in the parking lot.

There are also other tragic cases involving women being followed in stores before being attacked. So while it is important not to spread panic or assume every strange interaction is trafficking, it is also fair for women to take this seriously.

If someone feels unsafe, the advice is typically to not worry about being polite. It’s a good idea to find an employee or security guard, or ask someone to walk you to your car. If you think someone is following you, do not go home. The last thing you’d want is to lead them to your address.

Make sure to stay in public, call someone you trust, and contact the police if you believe you are in danger.

Commenters Were Alarmed

In the comments, many viewers said the video captured the exact reason women are often nervous running errands alone.

“My husband wonders why I’m afraid to go out to stores by myself,” one person wrote.

“It’s ok to be loud, yell their description and say leave me alone I don’t know you!!!” a second said. “And yes be aware of your surroundings always!!! Glad you are ok.”

“This is why I’m investing in a safety dog so I’ll be a little protected,” a third wrote.

@thatasiangirl2000 If you think someone’s following you, take 4 left or right turns and if after the 4th turn they’re still behind you, go tell a worker immediately or if you’re in a car then start driving to the closest police station. I hate that this happened again I’m officially not going to that target without my husband ever again. #stalked #traffickingawarenes #womenssafety #safetytips #storytime ♬ original sound – ? ? ? ? ? ?

The Mary Sue has reached out to Target and Marie via email for comment.

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