A teenager has been awarded £10,000 in compensation after her images were used to create fake online dating profiles, a practice known as catfishing.
Elha Mai Weston posed as Sasha-Jay Davies, 19, using her photos to create fraudulent accounts on platforms including Tinder, TikTok, and Instagram. Weston amassed over 100,000 followers through these fake personas, with Davies reporting increased fear of going out in public due to men approaching her who believed they were in relationships with her.
During a court proceeding, it was revealed that Weston engaged in a four-year campaign of online impersonation. Davies recounted the psychological impact, stating, "It is terrifying to be confronted over something you didn't do and to realise someone is using your face to manipulate others." She also shared that her social life has been significantly impacted, as she now rarely goes out due to anxiety about potential encounters.
The court heard that Weston used Davies' likeness, including AI-generated images based on her appearance, to create and operate fake accounts between 2022 and 2026. She adopted the aliases "Sophie" and "Sophie Kadare" for these profiles. The deception extended across multiple social media and dating applications, including Hinge, Snapchat, Facebook, and SoundCloud, deceiving thousands of individuals.
Weston has since apologized for the four-year campaign and agreed to pay Davies the compensation. The High Court in London presided over the case. Davies, a student, had previously expressed her distress to BBC Wales, highlighting the pervasive nature of the manipulation.