OK, so catfishing isn’t technically a crime. But its consequences can be every bit as dark.
We know it’s macabre, but it’s tough to find anything as gripping as a well-told true crime story. Thankfully in most cases, the events — or at least, the crimes — they describe are pretty extraordinary. Though a chill may run down our spines as the prelude to a grisly murder washes over us, we can (hopefully) sleep easy in the knowledge that it’s extremely unlikely we’ll ever experience anything like the horrors being described in our favorite podcast.
The same, unfortunately, cannot be said of catfishing. Though not in itself a crime, this cruel online behavior can have horrifying personal consequences, and lead to all manner of illegal activity down the road. Here’s the 411.
So, what actually is catfishing?
Catfishing, a.k.a. the real-life horror genre de jour, is when a person creates a fake profile on social media, often using photographs and videos lifted from other people’s accounts, in order to lure someone into a false relationship of some kind. Sometimes they’ll even falsify relationships with people their victim knows, in order to gain their trust.
The catfisher then abuses the deceived in some way — by manipulating them, tricking them out of money, or otherwise controlling them. Thanks to the increased predominance of social media (especially during the pandemic), catfishing is on the rise.
A slippery slope
The act of using another person’s picture and talking to people online isn’t in itself illegal. But it can often devolve into criminal behavior like stalking, fraud (including asking others to send money or goods), identity theft, solicitation of minors or involving minors in a crime, recording or taking pictures of people without consent, damaging systems or computers, or introducing computer viruses.
Because so much of a catfisher’s abuse is psychological, it can sometimes be very difficult to nail down an offense to prosecute — especially depending on the jurisdiction.
In 2013, Renae Marsden, a woman from Sydney, believed she’d been in a two-year online “relationship” with a man called Brayden. Brayden was a fake persona created by a jealous friend to coerce and control Marsden. They exchanged thousands of text and Facebook messages, and Marsden ended her engagement with another man so that she could marry Brayden. When “Brayden” broke up with her suddenly, Marsden ended her own life. The story was reported by The Guardian.
Though the coroner apparently described the actions of Marsden’s catfisher as “appalling” and an “extreme betrayal”, she found that no offense had been committed.
Where to watch, listen, and learn
Thankfully, cases as extreme as Renae Marsden’s are rare. But some examples of catfishing are so bizarre — and almost unbelievable — that they merit a deeper dive. Even it doesn’t end fatally, catfishing can have horrifying, life-altering consequences.
We’ve rounded up a few of the best examples of catfishing documentaries and podcasts to arm yourself with, to ensure that you never fall victim to this awful scam.
‘The Tinder Swindler’
This Netflix doc comes out on February 2, and the buzz is already huge. The story revolves around a man apparently called Simon Leviev, who claims to be the handsome and charming son of a multi-billionaire diamond magnate — and who against all probability, is looking for love on Tinder.
Again and again, Leviev lures women into his thrall, taking them on extravagant — sometimes international — dates, and showering them with five-star hotel stays, gourmet dinners, and all manner of luxury love bombs. But every time, the women who become entangled with Leviev somehow wind up alone — and in serious debt.
‘Sweet Bobby’
If you didn’t listen to Sweet Bobby last year, you need to remedy that asap. It’s a podcast by Tortoise Media that tells the story of how Kirat Assi, a radio presenter from London, fell “in love” with “Bobby,” a New York-based cardiologist, and spent a decade of her life pursuing what she believed to be an extraordinary relationship. We’ll resist sharing any further spoilers (don’t worry, you discover the above within the first few minutes) — but trust us, there’s a lot more to this tale. Listen here.
‘Catfish’
This one’s a twofer. Originating as an acclaimed indie documentary on MTV way back in 2012, and now available in podcast form as well, the Catfish series dives into a new tale of deception and distrust in every episode. With the help of host Nev Schulman and friends, people set out to track down their online romances to discover whether they’re truly who they say they are, or whether they’re — you guessed it — a catfish. It’s definitely an ethical minefield, but a compelling one at that.
