A New York man put “himself” out there in his efforts to nab the man who stole his phone, posing as a woman online after he discovered the thief had started looking for dates under his name.

Nadal Nirenberg told ABC News the problem started when he left his phone in a cab New Year’s Eve. Within 24 hours, he said, he found messages sent from his profile on the dating site OKCupid, which is linked to the phone.

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So Nirenberg grabbed a picture of a woman and concocted his own false identity, contacting the man and convincing him to meet in the flesh.

“My best version of talking as a girl as a flirty girl, I should say, is adding winky face emoticons,” Nirenberg said.

Nirenberg got the thief to come to his apartment in Brooklyn, he said, and confronted him on a nearby stairwell, bringing along both some money and some protection when the time came to reclaim his property.

“I put the $20 in his hand to defuse the situation as fast as possible,” Nirenberg said, recapping the encounter. “But I had a hammer in my hand just in case.”

The would-be suitor did at least seem to make an effort, though; Nirenberg pointed out that he came dressed nicely and brought a bottle of wine.

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“As he was walking away, I was surprised,” Nirenberg said after getting his phone back. “I said, ‘You smell great though.'”

Watch ABC News’ report on Nirenberg’s sting, aired Saturday, below.

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