A woman from California is facing a relatively unique problem—men want to send her money “just because she’s pretty.”
“ Hey, what’s your CashApp? What’s your Venmo? I just wanna send you money. I just think you’re pretty,” these men allegedly say, which has irked Kendra (@iluvchampangepapi) for weeks. She posted to TikTok to issue a (relatively) formal complaint. Since then, her video’s gotten over 22,000 views. As she explains, “ there’s a price to pay [for taking men’s money],” and she doesn’t want to pay it.
There’s a price to pay—what does that mean?
In Kendra’s video, she said, “ there’s a price to pay and you’re not gonna get it,” something that confused some viewers who didn’t understand the context of her words.
But, for many women, her meaning became immediately apparent. Many men offer to send women “free money” just because online, but it’s never free. There’s almost always a transactional, underlying expectation that the women act in a certain way or respond to these men going forward.
That’s something Kendra expressed in the comments section of her video. Replying to a comment that read, “I’m confused, are you saying you’re not going to give the price or that they wont pay it?” Kendra said, “Neither. I’m saying no money is free money.”
The price—it’s a scam
While many men genuinely offer women money online, people often do so with the intent of scamming young women into sending private information about themselves, or even getting money through chargeback scams.
A scammer will usually offer something — money, coupons, free merchandise — and then ask for some sort of personal information. They may have a person log into their Instagram account using a link they provide or request that the person take some steps on a website to get their “free items.” Then, they’ll use that information to access their accounts and lock their victims out.
In other cases, scammers send more money than promised and ask for a repayment. They then charge back the original payment, leaving you out of the money you sent.
If scammers get access to CashApp, Venmo, or Zelle accounts, they can send themselves payments and quickly drain bank accounts. They usually send phishing texts and emails until someone falls for one, giving them access to the account and locking the owner out. From there, they continually transfer the money to their own bank. That’s why giving them access to a phone number or email can still be risky.
That’s one reason why it’s generally a bad idea to take random offers from strangers, whether that be money, free merchandise, or any number of other items.
@iluvchampangepapi ♬ original sound – Kendra
Continued confusion— why not take the money and run?
Some commenters questioned why Kendra didn’t allow these men to send her money. Others shamed her for getting the offers in the first place, emphasizing that she has a “choice” to not use her good looks for cash.
“[My dms] are empty and I have to go to work,” said one slightly bitter commenter. Kendra emphasized that she, too, works. “You work by choice, I work [because] I have to,” the commenter replied.
Overall, Kendra’s message of not taking money from random strangers didn’t seem to bode well with her comments section. More than a few men commented, expressing complete dissatisfaction with Kendra’s thoughts on the matter.
The Mary Sue has reached out to Kendra via TikTok direct message for more information.
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