AI-Generated Images Used in Four-Year Catfishing Campaign Against Welsh Teenager
A Welsh teenager targeted by another teenager was subjected to a four-year catfishing campaign using her photos and AI-generated imagery across seven social media platforms. The perpetrator created fake accounts with over 100,000 followers and engaged in romantic conversations impersonating the victim. The High Court found the defendant liable and awarded £10,000 in damages after she admitted fault and apologised.
What happened
Between approximately 2022 and 2026, Elha Mai Weston engaged in a sustained campaign of online impersonation or 'catfishing' targeting Sasha Davies across seven social media platforms: TikTok, Instagram, Facebook, Snapchat, Tinder, Hinge and SoundCloud. The campaign commenced when Davies was 16 years old.
Weston created and operated numerous accounts under the fictitious identity 'Sophie' and variants including 'Sophie Kadare', which collectively accumulated more than 100,000 followers. The accounts used photographs and AI-generated imagery of Davies without her knowledge or consent.
Through the fake accounts, Weston communicated with a large number of individuals in personal and romantic conversations. As a consequence, Davies was approached on multiple occasions by members of the public who had interacted with the 'Sophie' persona and believed they had a genuine connection with her, including a man who showed Davies messages he had exchanged with a fake account over months, believing he was in a romantic relationship with her.
Reported impact
Davies reported the campaign to police on multiple occasions. She stated: 'For four years someone else was living a life as me, talking to men as me, while strangers approached me in the street believing they knew me. I stopped feeling safe leaving the house.'
Classification
Sources and evidence
Sources not yet published
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