Catfishing victim gets payout for Tinder, TikTok and Instagram profiles

A teenager whose images were used to create fake Tinder, TikTok and Instagram profiles leading men to believe she was their girlfriend is to be paid compensation.

Sasha-Jay Davies, 19, from Aberdare had her identity stolen by Elha Mai Weston who posed as the teenager to strike up romantic conversations on social media.

Weston amassed more than 100,000 followers, leaving Davies fearful to leave her home because she was being approached by men who thought they were in a relationship with her.

She apologised and admitted the four-year campaign and agreed to pay Davies, a student, a reported £10,000 in compensation.

Weston engaged in a “sustained campaign of online impersonation”, known as catfishing, the court was told.

Earlier this year, Davies told BBC Wales: “I used to go out a lot but now I hardly ever go out because I’m scared what man is going to approach me next.

“It is terrifying to be confronted over something you didn’t do and to realise someone is using your face to manipulate others,” she said.

Images were posted on Tinder, Hinge, Snapchat, TikTok, Instagram, Facebook and SoundCloud, and used to deceive thousands of people across social media and dating apps.

The High Court in London heard Weston used Davies’ images to create and run fake accounts between 2022 and 2026, calling herself “Sophie” and “Sophie Kadare”.

She also used AI images based on Davies’ likeness, and used the fake profiles to strike up real-life romantic relationships.