Text exposes man’s ‘gross’ bid to get woman’s number

A woman claims she was duped into giving a man her phone number after told her a shocking lie that has left many disgusted.

A woman has slammed a stranger who pretended to be deaf in order to get her phone number so they could “communicate” better.

Influencer Tabitha Swatosh recalled how she was waiting in line at her local coffee shop when she noticed the man behind her was making serious eye contact, but did not say anything.

The 22-year-old TikTok star said the awkward exchange happened again just moments later, where it appeared he wanted to say something but decided not to.

As it turns out, the mystery man was a friend of one her friends, and when the pair crossed paths later in the day, she decided to introduce herself, but was met with silence.

Tabitha, from Los Angeles, said she is then told that he is deaf, and he gestures for her to input her number into his mobile phone, so that they could have a proper conversation.

But little did she know, this was all part of his plan.

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It all started when a man lined up behind her at Starbucks. Picture: Tabitha Swatosh/TikTok

She decided to go speak to him first as he seemed ‘shy’. Picture: Tabitha Swatosh/Instagram

“This is so messed up. I was standing in a Starbucks coffee line, and this boy gets in line behind me,” she begins the video.

“We make awkward eye contact, and he almost says something, but doesn’t say anything. I see him again, and it happened all over again.

“Then I go to a friend’s hotel room, we’re all hanging out. There’s a knock on the door, and it’s the guy who I saw in the Starbucks line.

“He comes in, he says nothing. Turns out, he is a friend of one of my friends. He didn’t say a word for 30 minutes. I start trying to have a conversation with him, and my friend leans over and says ‘he can’t hear’.

“Now I feel bad, and he is sitting there uncomfortable. He shows me his phone, and opens the ‘add contact’ thing, and he types in his notes to add my number so that we can talk.

“He texts me and says ‘I’m sorry it’s hard for me to communicate, but I’ll try the best I can.’”

He put out his phone so she could input her contact details. Picture: Tabitha Swatosh/TikTok

Tabitha noticed he felt uncomfortable after she found out he was ‘deaf’. Picture: Tabitha Swatosh/Instagram

The pair text back and forth, with the man even telling Tabitha that she has an “amazing smile”.

Later that evening, she decides to go to a house party and was surprised to see the man there too, surrounding by a group of his friends.

But what was even more shocking was how the man was acting – and Tabitha quickly realised she had been majorly duped.

“So I walk into this party, and guess who is talking to all these people in this room,” she said.

“The people are talking back, and he can hear fine. I stand back and I’m like, wait a minute.

“I ask one of my other friends, can he communicate and hear fine? And they say, ‘Yeah’.

“So I go up to him, and say, ‘Hey, how are you? Nice to officially meet you.’

He apologised for pretending to be deaf. Picture: Tabitha Swatosh/TikTok

After apologising, he said, ‘At least I got your number.’ Picture: Tabitha Swatosh/TikTok

“He was a deer in the headlights. This boy starts immediately apologising.

“He’s saying he is so sorry for pretending to be deaf. He said. and I quote, it was an easy and smooth way to get my phone number because he was shy.

“That’s messed up.”

Tabitha then texted her friend who took part in the lie and called them out.

She was then contacted again by the man who had pretended to be deaf, and he offered more excuses.

“I’m sorry I pretended to be deaf to get your phone number,” he wrote.

“I just panicked and thought it would be a funny joke too.”

She pointed out that his “joke” lasted two days.

She explained she only gave him her number because she thought he was deaf. Picture: Tabitha Swatosh/TikTok

She saw the man at a party talking to all his friends. Picture: Tabitha Swatosh/Instagram

He apologised again before adding: “But at least I got your number.”

People in the comments were shocked at her experience – with many saying the man’s actions were a major “red flag”.

“What was his long term plan? How was he going to keep that up?” one person asked.

“That would be such a red flag to me.”

“I’m super shy, and wouldn’t make an elaborate lie like that. Red flag!” said another.

“Something similar happened to me once, but he pretended he was missing a leg” commented one. “Please tell me you blocked him!”