Recent MrBeast Incident Raises Questions
This very scenario was recently brought to light aftera TikTok showcasing a prankwent viral in early July. In the video, it was alleged that an eight-year-old boy by the name of Gabe Lyles was shopping at a Connecticut Target with his father when they were approached by someone who said they worked with MrBeast.
MrBeast often gives people lavish giftsand shopping sprees in his videos, so Gabe and his father believed the strangers when they claimed that they had been selected to take part in a challenge. The fake MrBeast employee’s agenda was further pushed when they said they had chosen Gabe because they noticed he was wearing hearing aids. The TikTok user who highlighted the incident, NoahGlennCarter, commented that “apparently the fake MrBeast employees said that the reason they chose him specifically was because of his hearing problems”.
The family donned blindfolds and set to work filling a shopping cart with everything they could in the span of thirty seconds, but were devastated to find out that the pranksters had run away while they were preoccupied. Gabe told WSFB in an interview later that it broke his heart “because [he] thought [his] dreams were coming true”.
Target and The Commission for Persons with Disabilities gifted Gabe a total of $400 for a shopping spree which the boy happily accepted, though the hurt of being taken advantage of is likely still present. After seeing the viral video, MrBeast commented on Twitter asking for Gabe’s contact information, likely so he could do something kind for Gabe as well. At the moment, there has not been an update as to whether or not MrBeast was successful with this request.
WhileMrBeast is no stranger to criticism, in this situation it seems that people using his name are the ones that should be scrutinized. A few important questions are raised from this situation, for example, such as whether pulling this damaging type of prank should be allowed, though it seems difficult to propose how they could be thwarted entirely. If this continues, MrBeast also has the task of trying to reach out to everyone affected by those using his name. Unfortunately, the never-ending cycle of fraud may not allow him to do this.
What the solution is to this rather unique situation has not yet been determined. Hopefully, more people will become aware of these types of pranks and subsequently will be less likely to fall victim to them.Problems for MrBeastwill probably persist as being such a notable YouTuber often attracts various kinds of attention. At least in this scenario, Gabe and his father were able to find a relatively happy ending.
MORE:The SSSniperwolf and Jacksfilms Controversy Explained
