Remember those dramatic anti-piracy ads from the 2000s? The ones with the thumping soundtrack and the blocky text declaring, “YOU WOULDN’T STEAL A CAR”? They tried to convince us that downloading a movie was the moral equivalent of a grand heist, a federal crime of the highest order.
We all knew it was just corporate scare tactics, a dramatic attempt to stop us from burning a copy of Ocean’s Eleven for a friend. But it turns out, not everyone got the memo that it was all for show. For one man, a playful prank invoking the wrath of the FBI sent his girlfriend on the run, complete with a packed suitcase and a ghosted phone.
More info: Reddit
A good prank requires a certain level of skill, timing, and, most importantly, knowing your audience
Image credits: freepik / Freepik (not the actual photo)
After his girlfriend illegally downloaded a movie, a man joked that the FBI was on their way to her house
Image credits: Getty Images / Unsplash (not the actual photo)
She screamed, hung up, and then promptly vanished, leaving her worried parents behind
Image credits: katemangostar / Freepik (not the actual photo)
She had packed a suitcase, told her parents she’d “explain later,” and sped off like a fugitive
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The prankster had to frantically drive around Chicago when he realized he may have caused his girlfriend to flee the country
This is a story of a prank that went so catastrophically wrong, it might require an international search party to fix. It all began when the narrator’s girlfriend, who he lovingly describes as “not the smartest person on Earth,” called him in a panic after illegally downloading a movie. She wanted to know if what she’d done was a serious crime.
Instead of a simple “no,” the narrator decided to have a little fun. “That’s a serious national offense,” he joked, “The FBI could be heading to your house right now.” She screamed, “WHAT?!” He doubled down, telling her the FBI “takes this stuff seriously.” She then abruptly hung up, a digital mic drop that would soon escalate into a real-life crisis.
Unable to reach her, he drove to her house, only to find her car gone and her parents standing outside in a state of confusion and concern. They explained that a few minutes earlier, she had rushed downstairs with a suitcase, hugged them, cryptically said, “I’ll explain when I get the chance,” and then peeled out of the driveway like a fugitive heading for the border.
The prankster was left living in the hilarious, terrifying aftermath of his own joke. He spent the day driving around Chicago, frantically trying to find his on-the-lam girlfriend, who was not answering her phone or responding to texts. He’s left to wrestle with the very real, very absurd possibility that he has just caused the love of his life to flee the country over a pirated movie.
Image credits: toonsteb / Freepik (not the actual photo)
A good prank can be a beautiful thing. As explained by mental health experts at the Cleveland Clinic, joking and laughter are powerful tools for reducing stress and building stronger bonds in a relationship. A little harmless fun is scientifically proven to be good for you. The keyword here, of course, is “harmless,” a detail the narrator may have slightly overlooked in his execution.
His opening line, that his girlfriend isn’t the “smartest person on Earth,” points to a classic “intelligence gap” relationship dynamic, a topic explored by Dazed. While these pairings can work, his need to announce it to the entire internet suggests it’s a source of frustration for him. Her reaction to his prank suggests he might have a point, but that’s a conversation for therapy, not a public forum.
The irony of her panic is that the “FBI is coming” threat, while absurd, isn’t entirely without a modern-day equivalent. A recent case in the UK showed that police are now actively cracking down on people using “dodgy” Amazon Fire Sticks to illegally stream content. So, while she’s not going to end up on the FBI’s Most Wanted list, her fear of getting busted for piracy isn’t completely detached from a real, if minor, legal risk.
This story is a perfect storm of a poorly thought-out prank colliding with a level of gullibility that is almost impressive. He misjudged his audience spectacularly, and she took a joke with a level of seriousness that is frankly astonishing. It’s a hilarious but terrifying lesson in knowing your partner and understanding that some jokes can have very real and very inconvenient consequences.
What is the worst prank someone has ever played on you? Let’s trauma dump in the comments!
The internet was in stitches over the story, calling it a hilarious and terrifying prank-gone-wrong
