--- description: Though you might have warned about meeting strangers from the internet, that's how Joe McGrath got a free vacation to Spain. title: Internet Heroes Take Complete Stranger on Group Vacation image: https://static.time.com/v3/assets/bltea6093859af6183b/bltde093bcdab65f2d0/6988d9b9bc6cfc69913e2a3c/time-logo.jpg?branch=production --- * [Entertainment](/section/entertainment/) ## Entertainment Update your preferences in [Account Settings](/account/preferences/) Close * [Bizarre](/tag/bizarre/) ## Bizarre Update your preferences in [Account Settings](/account/preferences/) Close # Internet Heroes Found a Complete Stranger to Take on Their Group Vacation by [Catherine Trautwein](/author/catherine-trautwein/) ## Catherine Trautwein Update your preferences in [Account Settings](/account/preferences/) Close Apr 7, 2017 4:33 PM CUT by [Catherine Trautwein](/author/catherine-trautwein/) ## Catherine Trautwein Update your preferences in [Account Settings](/account/preferences/) Close Apr 7, 2017 4:33 PM CUT Though your parents might have warned you never to meet up with strangers from the internet, that’s how one lucky Manchester, England man got a free vacation, according to [_The Manchester Evening News_](http://www.manchestereveningnews.co.uk/news/greater-manchester-news/stranger-holiday-same-name-random-12860993 "undefined")_._ Joe McGrath, who works on a radio show, recently received a strange request on Facebook — to accompany nine friends on a pre-booked vacation to Spain, all because their other pal, who shares Joe’s full name, couldn’t go. “Would you consider coming on a holiday with a group of nine strangers if they had already arranged flights for you and an all inclusive hotel?” the message asked, according to a post on Joe’s [Twitter](https://twitter.com/joemcgrath95 "undefined"). > [](https://twitter.com/joemcgrath95/status/849638078117548032) McGrath said yes, and apparently had a fantastic time with the “[mega](https://www.facebook.com/photo.php?fbid=10209178922453653&set=a.1888599418206.2094675.1338072745&type=3&theater "undefined")” group. Here he is with his new pals: pic.twitter.com/99MQXdZVyw> > [](https://twitter.com/joemcgrath95/status/849683694428315648) [_The Manchester Evening News_](http://www.manchestereveningnews.co.uk/news/greater-manchester-news/stranger-holiday-same-name-random-12860993 "undefined") reports the group of nine friends sent out messages to 15 Joe McGraths, and the radio employee was the only one who got back to them. That Joe McGrath then lied to his mother about his companions on the trip. “I want to apologize to my mum who thought I knew these people all along,” he said on [Facebook](https://www.facebook.com/photo.php?fbid=10209178922453653&set=a.1888599418206.2094675.1338072745&type=3&theater "undefined"). ```json [{"@context":"https://schema.org","@type":"NewsArticle","@id":"https://time.com/4730915/complete-stranger-group-vacation-joe-mcgrath/","mainEntityOfPage":{"@type":"WebPage","@id":"https://time.com/4730915/complete-stranger-group-vacation-joe-mcgrath/"},"headline":"Internet Heroes Found a Complete Stranger to Take on Their Group Vacation","datePublished":"2017-04-07T16:33:39.000Z","dateModified":"2026-04-13T08:51:04.929Z","description":"A random Facebook message led to a free vacation for Joe McGrath","url":"https://time.com/4730915/complete-stranger-group-vacation-joe-mcgrath/","keywords":["Bizarre","Tech","Social Media","onetime"],"thumbnailUrl":"","author":[{"@type":"Person","name":"Catherine Trautwein","jobTitle":null,"url":"https://time.com/author/catherine-trautwein/"}],"articleSection":"Entertainment","image":[],"publisher":{"@type":"Organization","name":"Time","url":"https://time.com/","logo":{"@type":"ImageObject","url":"https://time.com/images/logo.png","width":528,"height":156},"foundingDate":"March 3, 1923","sameAs":["https://www.facebook.com/time","https://www.instagram.com/time/?hl=en","https://twitter.com/time","https://www.pinterest.com/timemagazine"]}},{"@context":"https://schema.org","@type":"BreadcrumbList","itemListElement":[{"@type":"ListItem","position":1,"item":{"@id":"/section/entertainment/","name":"Entertainment"}},{"@type":"ListItem","position":2,"item":{"@id":"/tag/bizarre/","name":"Bizarre"}},{"@type":"ListItem","position":3,"item":{"@id":"https://time.com/4730915/complete-stranger-group-vacation-joe-mcgrath/","name":"Internet Heroes Found a Complete Stranger to Take on Their Group Vacation"}}]}] ```