The Facebook Experiment Continues: Amy Messaged Me, and Now I Have More Questions

Well, that didn't take long.

In my last update, I shared that I finally accepted the mysterious friend request from Amy Ford on Facebook.

I didn't know Amy. We had one mutual friend. Her profile caught my attention for several reasons, including a rather impressive collection of jobs. Still, none of that proved anything was wrong with the account.

So curiosity won.

I accepted.

And shortly afterward, Amy messaged me.

“I Added You Out of Curiosity”

Amy opened with:

“Hello, Niel. I'm glad we have established a connection here.”

I asked the obvious question:

“Hello, Amy, have we met?”

Nope.

She said Facebook recommended me and that she added me “out of curiosity.”

That made me laugh because curiosity was exactly why I accepted her.

I told her:

“I accepted out of curiosity.”

Her response?

“I sent the friend request just out of curiosity, hahaha.”

Well, there we go.

Two strangers brought together by the powerful matchmaking algorithm of The Facebook—and apparently mutual curiosity.

What could go wrong?

Then Came the Questions

Amy asked where I was from.

I told her I was originally from New York and mentioned that I saw she was from Korea.

She explained that she's originally from Seoul, South Korea, has lived in New York for five years, and then asked whether I still lived in New York.

I said I didn't.

She asked where I live now.

I didn't answer.

Instead, I asked what brought her to New York.

According to Amy, she moved there after leaving a failed marriage because New York offered better career opportunities.

I asked how long she had been married and what she did for work.

She said the marriage lasted three years and told me:

“I work in real estate and run a TikTok agent shop.”

Now I had another question.

What's a TikTok Agent Shop?

Remember, her Facebook profile already showed several professional roles, including investor, real estate business owner, and an HR-related position.

Now I had a TikTok agent shop to add to the résumé.

So I asked what a TikTok agent shop does.

Her explanation was:

“You can understand it as providing goods specifically for retailers to make profits.”

Okay.

I still don’t entirely understand it.

Then the conversation turned back toward me.

She asked what I do for work.

I told her:

“I'm currently not working, kinda retired early.”

Her response caught my attention:

“Alright, you've got an enviable life ahead of schedule.”

Then she asked again:

“Do you still live in New York?”

I answered:

“I do not.”

And that was it.

No location.

Amy joked that my location was apparently a secret.

For now, it is.

Then the Conversation Took an Unexpected Turn

Amy said she had enjoyed talking with me but needed to get ready for some work meetings. We exchanged pleasantries, and the conversation ended.

Or so I thought.

Later that night, at 10:17 p.m., another message arrived:

“Are you a person with a disability?”

That's certainly a conversation starter.

I answered:

“Several.”

She asked what challenges I deal with.

I told her about my amputation and kidney failure.

And that's where the screenshots currently leave us.

So, Is This a Scam?

I still don't know.

And I think that's important to say.

Nothing in this conversation proves that Amy is running a scam or that the person behind the account isn't who they claim to be.

At the same time, I'm paying attention.

An unsolicited friend request from a stranger.

Very few Facebook friends.

Several different professional descriptions.

Questions about where I live.

Questions about my employment.

A business involving retailers making profits.

And now questions about my disabilities.

Each one can have a perfectly innocent explanation.

Taken together, they're enough for me to continue being cautious.

I'm Also Curious About Where This Goes

This has become a little social-media experiment for me.

I'm not sending money.

I'm not providing financial information.

I'm not sharing passwords or account information.

I'm not clicking mystery links.

And I'm not rushing to provide personal details simply because someone asks.

I'm having a conversation.

If Amy is simply a friendly person in New York who found my profile through Facebook recommendations, that may be all this ever is.

If the conversation eventually turns into:

“Niel, have you ever considered cryptocurrency?”

Well...

I may have another blog post to write.

For now, The Facebook Experiment continues.

And I have a feeling this story isn't finished yet.