SOPHIE Rain is no stranger to catfishing.
But the 20-year-old is not the perpetrator or direct victim. Instead, her pictures are used to trick unsuspecting men.
Catfishes pretend to be Sophie Rain, pictured, on social media[/caption]
They trick “naive men” into thinking they’re dating the 20-year-old influencer[/caption]
The influencer, who rakes in £500,000 a month with 11 million followers across social media, claims other women “use her beauty” to catfish and scam “naive men”.
Catfishing is the practice of creating a fake identity online, typically on social media or dating apps, to trick someone into forming a relationship (often romantic) with the false persona.
Sophie, 20, claims there are several fake accounts online of people impersonating her in order to “scam” men out of money.
She alleges that people have even taken her videos and used AI to put their faces on her body.
“It bothers me a lot,” she tells.
“I find it incredibly creepy seeing my body or my face used by someone else.
“I have a lot of men who message me saying something along the lines of, ‘hey, we had plans to meet up and at the last minute you cancelled on me, I just want to know why.’
“I try my best to respond to them and tell them that I don’t message people on my unverified social media accounts.
“I’ll give them some sympathy and sometimes they’re understanding and that’s that, but a lot of the time they think I’m lying about it.
“It really irritates me because it’s not my fault someone is using my photos to scam them.”
Sophie believes that the naive victims should “be more careful” because she believes “it’s obvious that it’s a scam”.
Having grown up poor relying on benefits, Sophie says she is grateful for the luxuries being an influencer affords her and this is just a downside.
She was recently able to pay off £11,600 of her parents’ property debt and has even bought them a new car.
She adds: “I understand that internet fame comes with recognition but I don’t think it calls for harassment or having my personal safety compromised.
How to spot and avoid a romance scam
Celebrity dating agent Anna Williamson shared her key tips for sniffing out a romance scammer before it goes too far…
- Is this a real person? Be suspicious if they say they can’t meet in person. Your online love interest will likely claim to live abroad, travel a lot, be in the armed forces or work for an international organization.
- Incomplete profile Scammers use fake personal data to create accounts, and their profile info is usually incomplete. If you search their name online, you’ll likely be left empty handed.
- Sketchy information Fraudsters can slip up by contradicting themselves or telling you outlandish things. Messages are often poorly written or confusing.
- Spectacular photos Scammers will often steal pictures from another profile or create ones using AI. Be wary of photos from someone you don’t know, especially if they look too touched up or like they were taken by a professional.
- They ask for money or account details Criminals will likely ask you to send them money, personal details or bank account passwords. You should never give a stranger personal information or send money.
“It is tiring and stressful at times.
“For anyone about to hand over cash to a hot stranger, be careful – it might be a horrible catfish!
“This makes my dating life hard because I know that those men are just trying to date me for my body, not who I am as a person.
“It even gets to a point of harassment where I’ve had men follow me to my car begging for my number and stalking my social media.”
Sophie also retaliated to a TikTok created by one of her alleged catfishes, which has received over 46 million views on the popular video sharing app.
A woman, reportedly named Charlotte, is said to have claimed that she “catfished” a man into thinking he was meeting Sophie.
Jam Press tried to contact Charlotte for comment on multiple occasions but has not yet received a reply.
