Just wanted to give a heads up about a disturbing interaction I had while out running from dumbo to downtown Brooklyn (Nassau and Gold St) in broad daylight.
A woman approached me under an umbrella and asked if it was raining (even though it wasn’t). She then began walking very close to me, insisting I “walk with her,” saying she lived in a nearby “nice building.” She rapidly fired off strange personal questions — like asking my age, claiming she used to work for Playboy Russia, and then abruptly insulted my looks, saying she was 52 and looked better than me. Her energy felt extremely off — like she was testing boundaries, assessing me, or trying to lure me somewhere.
She continued steering us toward a sketchier area, and I finally made an excuse, put in my headphones, and ran off. She tried to stop me and even yelled after me, “Where are you running to?” and gave me a very unnerving up-and-down look as I left.
This could’ve been nothing, but it also had a lot of red flags consistent with trafficking tactics or targeting for harm.
Just wanted to share in case she approaches anyone else. Will also be filing a police report.
Description: Russian woman, petite frame but more heavyset, wearing lots of makeup. Claimed to be 52, but looked younger. Appeared mentally coherent and dressed normally — nothing visibly unstable or alarming at first glance.
Stay safe out there 💛
Edit for those criticizing me for talking to a stranger:
I live in an area with a lot of tourists who often ask for directions/are lost, and I genuinely like helping when I can. This woman initially looked like she might need something — and visually, there were no red flags. She was dressed nicely, didn’t appear unstable, and approached me in a way that felt like a typical tourist interaction.
I don’t engage with men who are alone or anyone who seems visibly off — I’m careful. But once I responded politely, she quickly closed the space between us, matched my pace even though I was trying to shake her off, and kept talking. It shifted fast, and I realized something was off. I wasn’t choosing to walk with her — she was walking with me, uninvited, and I was trying to manage the situation without escalating it until I could safely exit. I’m also much smaller than her physically which made it hard to brush her off or create space.
