How not to be a 'West Elm Caleb': Entering and exiting dating app relationships gracefully

The cutie who you matched with on a dating app sent sweet messages, told fantastic stories and even made you a Spotify playlist. Then you never hear from them again. That is a West Elm Caleb.

That is a West Elm Caleb.

It all started out on TikTok, where women started sharing stories about a New York man named Caleb, who claimed to work as a furniture designer for the brand West Elm. Their stories -- accusations of ghosting, lovebombing and unsolicited explicit images -- painted him as someone who puts on an act for many women and then slips away without a word.

CNN has reached out to West Elm to confirm he is a designer.

The backlash has been focused on a specific Caleb, but the phrase has become a rallying cry for people to condemn those hurting them in a way that seems particular to those looking for love on dating apps.