A Democratic congressional candidate running against an incumbent of his own party has thought up the weirdest way to get votes: Catfishing potential supporters through dating apps.
Suraj Patel, a former hotel executive with a knack for fundraising, and his staff use Tinder, Bumble and Grindr, popular dating and hookup apps for mobile phones and tablets, to create fake profiles and attempt to attract people to his campaign, according to The New York Times.
“It’s kinda like catfishing,” Patel said, referring to the practice of falsely representing yourself online to lure a target into a relationship. “But you are telling people who you are.” Patel’s campaign uses a bar as election headquarters, and there, staffers use a bunch of phones to create fake profiles where they can “swipe right” on thousands of would-be dates.
Patel said he uses a picture of his brother on the profiles he creates to pick up votes. “Hi Sarah. Are you into civic engagement?” is a typical opening line once he gets a match.
Read more at the Daily Caller.
