Fake accounts pretending to be Sasha-Jay gained 81,000 followers on TikTok and 22,000 on Instagram
ByJordan DaviesBBC Wales
A 19-year-old woman 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 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.
Weston used Davies’ images to create and run fake accounts between 2022 and 2026
Davies said she felt anxious whenever strangers appeared to recognise her in the supermarket.
“I’ve had boys approach me in person, harassing me and accusing me of texting them, leading them on, or making plans to meet up, alongside conversations I never had,” she said.
The court heard one man approached Davies believing he was in a genuine relationship with her, after exchanging months of messages with one of Weston’s fake accounts.
Davies said about 20 men and several women had contacted her on social media, believing they knew her.
She said the first fake account emerged on TikTok in 2022 when she was just 16.
She reported it, but said the problem quickly spread to other social media and dating apps.
Even after making her real accounts private, Weston continued posting older photographs and AI-edited images, the court heard.
“It’s really difficult and I wouldn’t wish it on my worst enemy,” Davies said.
My identity was stolen to catfish men
The court was told Weston accepted her “conduct was wrongful” and acknowledged the “very significant distress and suffering” caused to Davies.
The court heard she “deeply regrets her actions and apologises to Miss Davies wholeheartedly and unreservedly for everything she has been put through”.
Weston agreed to pay Davies a reported £10,000 in compensation and agreed not to repeat her conduct in future, as part of a Tomlin Order – a form of binding civil justice agreement.
Weston could be found in contempt of court if she breaches the agreement.
Catfishing is when somebody creates a fake online persona with the intention of deceiving others.
This could be for a variety of reasons, such as extorting money from them, to spark up a romance, or simply for their own satisfaction.
Catfishers often use stolen photographs, lie about their lives and avoid situations such as video calls, where they would be caught out.
