A TikTok creator says he was shopping at Walmart when a frightened woman approached him with an urgent request: She wanted him to pretend they knew each other because she believed two men were following her. The video, posted by @voycebutler5, had garnered 2.6 million views and 5,700 comments at the time of publication.
@voycebutler5 begins by recalling the woman’s first words: “Can you pretend you came here with me?” He was going about his own shopping when she approached him, initially unsure why she needed his help.
The woman then spoke a little louder, saying, “There you go. I thought I lost you.” That was when he realized something was wrong.
He immediately played along. The woman leaned in and quietly explained, “Don’t leave me. Two men have been following me.”
When he looked back, he says he noticed two men nearby. “One dude is standing at the end of the aisle. Another one is further behind him. No cart, no basket. And when we start moving, they start moving, too,” he recalled in the video.
He asked the woman when the situation began. According to her account, one man had approached her in the parking lot and asked if she needed help. She declined, but later spotted him inside the store. A second man began appearing nearby soon afterward, prompting her to approach @voycebutler5.
Recognizing the seriousness of the situation, he accompanied her to find a Walmart employee. He says the two men disappeared after seeing them speak with the employee. By the time security arrived, the woman was shaking from the experience.
Fortunately, she was able to return to her car safely. When they reached it, she apologized and explained why she had approached him.
“I’m sorry. I just looked at you and felt like you would help me,” she told him.
@voycebutler5 reassured her that she had nothing to apologize for. He ended the video by saying he was glad he could help and that she felt comfortable enough to approach him.
“If somebody walks up to me, terrified, and says, ‘Pretend you know me,’ I’m not ignoring that,” he said.
TikTok Viewers Praise the Walmart Shopper for Helping a Frightened Woman
Being followed by strangers is a frightening possibility for many women, especially when they don’t know whether anyone nearby will help. Commenters praised @voycebutler5 for taking the woman seriously and playing along without hesitation.
“Bro, that is the HIGHEST compliment a woman can give,” one user wrote.
Others shared their own frightening experiences, with some wishing they had encountered someone willing to help them in a similar situation.
“You saved her life. I was attacked at gunpoint in 2002. 1[sic] would've given anything for an angel like you. God bless you,” one commenter wrote, recalling their own experience.
Other women described using a similar approach when they felt unsafe around men they didn’t know.
“Thank you for helping her! I did this to a guy in TJMaxx, l’m so thankful the guy played along!” another commenter shared.
Pretending to know a stranger might seem like a small gesture, but in a frightening situation, it can help someone feel less alone and create an opportunity to seek assistance. For many viewers, @voycebutler5’s willingness to step in was exactly the kind of support they hope someone would offer when a stranger feels unsafe.
The Daily Dot was unable to independently verify the claims made by TikTok creator @voycebutler5, which are based on his account of the incident shared in the video.
