Aussie business owner exposes her 'Birthday Reindeer' stalker after unbelievable saga unfolded when she asked a customer for a deposit - and the whole world is watching
Melbourne woman Danielle Hendricks said she received an inquiry from a customer who wanted to make a 'birthday' booking for a hair and makeup appointment.
What followed was a bizarre interaction that involved the customer asking for Ms Hendricks' address, questioning if the pair could be friends, and then creating fake bookings while warning the makeup artist she wouldn't know which one was real.
Ms Hendricks was so taken aback by the entire ordeal that she nicknamed the customer 'Birthday Reindeer' - a homage to 'Baby Reindeer', which is a popular Netflix series about a stalker infatuated with a young comedian.
She has documented her ordeal on TikTok, with her story going global and social media users claiming they are watching her videos from countries like Singapore, Kenya and South Africa.
Ms Hendricks had settled on a date to do the customer's hair and makeup after she received the initial message.
The pair agreed the service would cost $250, and Ms Hendricks sent across the details of the booking for August 24 along with a request for a small deposit.
But the customer said she could not pay the deposit, claiming she had issues with the bank, and asked for a small 'birthday discount', adding she had been 'scammed' by makeup artists before.
Ms Hendricks, who had maintained a professional tone, said that was when alarm bells began to ring.
The customer sent several further enquiries, promising she would 'definitely come', and asked for the artist's address.
Ms Hendricks had previously shared her address with the customer for the booking, but later edited the iMessage to redact her street and property number.
Following a further exchange, the makeup artist said she would make an exception about the deposit and added, 'I don't know what else you want'.
'Okay, I understand. Thank you lovely x,' the customer replied.
'Appreciate it. Can we be friends?'
Ms Hendricks shared the video with 5.1million viewers on TikTok who were immediately concerned for her safety.
'This thread has just been red flag after red flag,' Ms Hendricks said.
'I can't think of a single green flag aside from her desperation that she really wants a makeup artist, because why else would you message someone so much? But I really think this person is having a laugh.
'I don't know what this is. Would you cancel this booking, and how would you go about it because of this? I don't know if I want to even meet this person.'
Social media sleuths claimed the customer was a woman who had been accused of running a business that had failed to send products to clients.
They claimed the client also set up fundraisers online, claiming she needed help for medical assistance and food, and had begged viewers for help on TikTok live videos.
One messaged Ms Hendricks, accusing the client of being a scammer.
Ms Hendricks revealed the customer had found her online booking form and inundated her with several phony bookings under fake names.
She warned the makeup artist she wouldn't know which ones were real.
Ms Hendricks adjusted her booking system to require a deposit upon scheduling to weed out the client's messages.
She said she then faced backlash from the customer after 'spreading awareness' of the issue.
The client - who Ms Hendricks said is 'well-known to police' - messaged the makeup artist about her TikTok videos.
'I didn't realise she actually messaged me on Friday night,' Ms Hendricks said.
'It was just 'I have a question', and I said, 'let me guess, you want to be friends'.
'And she said, 'the post about the makeup, I'd like you to delete it because it wasn't me, it was my sister messaging you, and if you don't delete it, I'll take you to the police for posting stuff without my consent or permission, and I'll make you lose your job'.'
Ms Hendricks, who is self-employed, said she never shared any information directly about the client and had just raised awareness about the issue.
'I said 'multiple people are the ones who informed me about you, so please do go to the police if you like, I'd be interested to know who they think the real criminal is',' the makeup artist said.
'And then she says, 'I'll be going to the police if it's not deleted by today, I've got your address details and information as well, plus TikTok and photos'.
'I was planning to give the police my address anyway so they know which house to protect.'
Ms Hendricks joked that, 'aside from the threats', the client had been 'relatively polite'.
She said she had everything to support her case and was not afraid of the client.
'I haven't really done anything, I was just telling a funny story online and then it developed into me spreading awareness about this person who does all of these weird scams just to get a bit of money from people,' she said.
'I'm confident in my strength, and I'm also confident that I've done nothing wrong.'
Social media users were left horrified by Ms Hendricks' experience.
'I'm sorry you're going through this,' one wrote.
'As someone who has been stalked before, try not to mention any similarities like having the 'same police station' or the name of the area you both live in - people are crazy and can use the smallest details to find out your (information).'
'You've done nothing wrong. She's just added more nails to her coffin by sending threatening messages,' another said.
'This is like a toxic relationship you didn't ask to be a part of,' a third added.
Hashtags
Try Our AI Features
Explore what Daily8 AI can do for you:
Comments
No comments yet...
Related Articles
Daily Mail
a minute ago
- Daily Mail
Bunnings delights with the launch of $15 nostalgic 90s item every Aussie adored: 'I need this right now'
Bunnings shoppers are rushing to stores after the hardware giant quietly restocked one of its most nostalgic summer essentials - the Clam Shell Sandpit, priced at just $14.70. The brightly coloured plastic shell, a staple in Aussie backyards since the 1990s, has long been a favourite with families for its versatility. Parents fill them with sand for endless hours of castle-building, while others use them as makeshift pools, pet baths, or even giant coolers packed with ice and drinks for parties. Some fans insist the shell is 'the ultimate summer hack', with many buying two - one as a play pit, the other as a lid to keep out possums and cats overnight. 'Not only are they amazing sandpits and pools, but they make the most incredible sensory trays for engaging summer sensory play,' one parent shared. Another joked: 'In the time it would take me to set that up my daughter would have harassed the dog, jumped in the toilet and fallen off the flat floor.' Others admitted their purchase was fuelled by nostalgia as much as practicality. 'My inner child feels so happy with this! This would have been so much fun to explore,' one shopper wrote. The shells, which are portable, stackable and easy to hose down, have a reputation for selling out quickly whenever Bunnings brings them back The shells, which are portable, stackable and easy to hose down, have a reputation for selling out quickly whenever Bunnings brings them back. 'I tried to get one last time they were released, but all my local stores were sold out,' one shopper complained. Another added: 'I've been eyeing these off for ages. Hanging to get one because they're so cute.' Others are hoping the craze spreads beyond Australia. 'Can you send them to New Zealand stores please?' one person asked. While designed as sandpits, the clam shells have been embraced in all sorts of ways. Families have filled them with toys and water for toddlers, turned them into dog pools, or even used them as outdoor coolers for summer barbecues. 'I want to use mine as a little pool,' one shopper wrote. A second said: 'They're fantastic for dogs, too - our furry friends love splashing about in them.' With summer just around the corner, demand is expected to surge once again. Parents are being warned to cover them at night to keep out curious neighbourhood animals - and to act fast if they want to secure one before shelves are cleared.
Daily Mail
a minute ago
- Daily Mail
Extremely awkward moment Joshua Sasse is asked about ex-fiancee Kylie Minogue on breakfast TV as he says he 'forgot' he starred in one of her video clips
Joshua Sasse made a rare appearance on Channel Seven 's The Morning Show on Wednesday to discuss his new series Outrageous. But things took an awkward turn when the show's host Kylie Gillies asked him about his ex-fiancée Kylie Minogue. After discussing his role on the show and his film Love Is in the Air alongside Delta Goodrem, Kylie asked him about his past. 'You must love working with Aussie singers because you were in a Kylie Minogue music video,' she said. 'Was I?' a confused Joshua responded before adding: 'Ohh yes that happened. It was a last minute thing.' Kylie asked: 'Were you dating? Because you dated there for a while.' 'Yes we were, we were engaged,' Joshua said before explaining how he ended up in the video clip. 'We didn't know what to do for the video and we all pitched in last minute and that happened.' Joshua was just 27 when he fell for pop superstar Kylie, who was 20 years his senior, after she signed up for a guest role in his musical comedy series Galavant. Their romance didn't exactly have a fairytale beginning as it was reported Joshua was still married to his ex Francesca Cini, with whom he shares a son, when he met Kylie on set in the summer of 2015. The romance was an open secret on set, though - so much so that even Joshua's co-star Vinnie Jones joked that the actor had his sights set on Kylie from the start. In February 2016, just six months after meeting, Sasse proposed. A year later, and the whirlwind romance came crashing down, as the couple revealed they had called off their engagement. At the time of their separation, it was reported that Kylie had suspected Joshua was cheating on her. The rumours were never confirmed, but Joshua never took legal action against the dozens of news outlets that called him a cheater. After their split, he went on to date another Australian, Louisa Ainsworth. They married in 2018, welcomed two children and settled in for a quiet life in Byron Bay - a coastal town in northern New South Wales. But last month, Joshua confirmed they had separated just hours after he was papped canoodling with a Byron Bay local. He told Daily Mail that he and Louisa had decided to part ways 'after thoughtful consideration and with mutual respect'. One day earlier, Joshua and a local woman looked very comfortable in each other's company at North Belongil Beach Park Reserve. The woman - who is also married - arrived, parking next to Joshua, before the pair exited their vehicles, happily walking and talking with a dog in tow. At one stage, she placed her hand under his T-shirt to rub his chest while gazing into his eyes. Their meeting lasted about 25 minutes before the pair headed back to their respective vehicles.
BBC News
31 minutes ago
- BBC News
Hostage: 'Playing the Prime Minister 'changes your perception' of politics' says Suranne Jones
Actress Suranne Jones has taken on the role of many women under immense pressure. In Doctor Foster she suspects her husband of having an affair, in Vigil she investigates a death on board a submarine, and in Gentleman Jack she develops a dangerous lesbian romance. But none of the roles are quite as pressured as her latest - playing a British prime minister whose husband is kidnapped. Hostage, Netflix's new political thriller, sees Jones' character, Abigail Dalton, build an uneasy alliance with French President Vivienne Toussaint - played by Julie Delpy - who is being blackmailed during a London two leaders work together in order to rescue the PM's husband, unmask the kidnapper and blackmailer, and bring those responsible to justice. 'Political with a small p' Given its themes of immigration, the funding of the NHS and public trust, audiences may be tempted to connect Hostage to today's headlines. But, both stars insist the show is less about mirroring today's politics and more about creating a thrilling story set in the political world. "We're entertaining and we're in the political world, but it's in no way a reflection of the world we live in," Jones tells the BBC."It's political with a small p - there's enough that roots us in the real world but the world is too complicated to link it directly and I think it would be inappropriate." Delpy agrees and says: "Things change every day. It's impossible to be in the political moment because tomorrow is something else."The show's writer, Matt Charman, explains that there are some connections to the real world as it's "impossible to write a show that exists in the climate we live in that doesn't end up feeling that it's in dialogue with it". "If you wrote a show that isn't connected to our world it would feel weird," he says, "but I hope the show does have the ability to exist in its own oxygen." It is rare to see two female world leaders sharing the spotlight in a political thriller, but, for Charman, making sure Dalton and Toussaint were women was integral to the way the series was conceived and it was both a creative and political choice. "What was exciting was the idea of women in power and how we explore that," he says, explaining that he tried to explore how each situation the characters face would be different for a woman. "There's a double standard for women, so giving full dramatic freedom to that was very important." Charman and Jones have shared an agent for the past 10 years and Hostage came about because Charman really wanted to work with Jones and the pair settled on creating a political thriller. Jones says she particularly enjoyed exploring "how these two women have to dance around each other"."A female politician is used to dealing with men so it's interesting to see how it plays out when it's two women." While viewers quickly learn about Jones' character - a loving wife and mother who is idealistic about bettering the country - Delpy's character is more drawn out and our opinion of her changes throughout the show."We made sure not to play into the female politician stereotypes," Delpy say. "What I like is that these women actually have some things in common like they both want change and came into office hopeful." The Guardian describe Hostage as "quite unusual" in that it doesn't remind you of any other political thrillers. "It's a little biting but it's not House of Cards cynical, it has a breakneck pace but it's not 24, the dialogue is sharp but never played for laughs," Zoe Williams writes. 'Cost of being in power' To play Dalton convincingly, Jones, who also served as an executive producer on the show, says she really immersed herself in the reality of political life. She visited the House of Commons, spoke to the Speaker of the House and devoured books, podcasts and documentaries. "I'm a bit of a geek when it comes to research," she admits. "I was fascinated by not emulating anyone but by understanding a life I knew nothing about. And it's the cost of being in a powerful position in that way that really struck me."Charman also talks about the extraordinary amount of research that went into creating the show. I ask him whether Dalton or Toussaint were inspired by any real life politicians and he confesses that they are, but he won't say who. "We interviewed a lot of people and Suranne had incredible access to people who had been prime minister who talked about their time in office and the pressure on their family. But it was all agreed that they would speak about this as long as it could remain confidential," he says. Jones won't say which politicians inspired her character but says all of her previous characters are a part of her and she has "a boardroom of personalities" which feed into who she plays. She says all the research into what it's like to be a politician "changes your perception for sure" and makes you realise "the cost of being in a powerful position". One question the show raises is whether or not it's possible for a politician today to stick to their ideals once they come into office and while Jones is unsure, Charman is an optimist. "I wanted to explore how there can be decent people in politics who are fundamentally good but get pushed around," he says. He adds that it's not "inevitable" that people give up their ideals once in office, but "it's definitely tough to keep your morals". Above the thrills and drama of Hostage, Charman says the show explores "what it takes to be a good person in a system that doesn't always reward good people."Delpy is slightly more pessimistic and explains that given "politicians have to be heard, if you're too reasonable you won't be listened to as there's so much noise of both extremes"."If you have a moderate view you get lost in the noise as people are only listening to the loudest."
