Adopt a chimpanzee
There comes a time when many of us will give our phone number out to somebody that we’re not particularly interested in, but there are definitely more creative ways of dealing with the problem. All you need is a cell phone and the ability to do a couple of quick Google Image searches, and you can prank someone into thinking they are going to adopt a chimpanzee.
Emily Cain was given a phone number by someone interested in her, but instead of just ignoring the messages she decided to have some fun. When tasked with texting the man saved in her contacts list as ‘Guy’, she sent him the following message: “Thankyou and congratulations! You have successfully adopted bubbles the chimp! £7.50 will be charged to your bill per month. To cancel this subscription without any further being charged, just reply to this message with the word STOP.”
When Humor Crosses the Line
While pranks like this can be funny to read about, it’s worth remembering that not everyone reacts the same way to being tricked. What feels like harmless humor to one person might come across as confusing or frustrating to someone else. If you’re trying to turn someone down, clear and respectful communication is usually the safest approach. Humor can work—but it should always be used thoughtfully to avoid unnecessary misunderstandings.
Prank uncovered
This message, along with a photo of a chimpanzee, was unsurprisingly enough for her love interest to reply ‘STOP’. However, Emily wasn’t ready to quit the fun so soon, as she wanted to truly convince the unsuspecting donor that he was about to adopt a chimpanzee. Her next message mentioned that he would be donating an extra £5 a month, and the message after that added another £3 a month to the prank. Eventually the money totalled £24.50 a month (just over $32).
It escalated to the point where Bubbles’ ‘poorly mother’, Bonnie, was also going to be adopted, alongside a cuddly toy that would supposedly be sent to the recipient. The unfortunate target then sent a longer message asking to cancel all direct debits, before Emily revealed her identity. He didn’t seem happy with the joke, his final response being X-rated and directed at Emily herself.
She shared the exchange to Twitter, where it went viral, with over 22,000 likes and 3,000 retweets so far. Have you ever tried similar tactics to get rid of someone pursuing you romantically? Let us know!
For stories about love that lasts, rather than fizzles out via text message, check out this story. Or, if you prefer fictional apes, try the game ‘Ape Escape’
