To make sure you never miss out on your favourite NEW stories, we're happy to send you some reminders

Click 'OK' then 'Allow' to enable notifications

Male Model Hires Private Detective To Catch Catfish Who Used His Images

Male Model Hires Private Detective To Catch Catfish Who Used His Images

Busted.

Michael Minay

Michael Minay

There are few less embarrassing, and less awkward moments, than turning up to a date and realising the person you meet looks NOTHING like their pictures.

Sometimes that can be blamed on lighting or heavy filters. However, sometimes the pictures are not of that person at all.

I'm talking about catfishing. Urban dictionary describes it as 'someone who pretends to be someone they're not using Facebook or other social media to create false identities, particularly to pursue deceptive online romances'.

Now, with the help of a detective agency, a male model has been able to weed out and confront the man who stole his identity in an effort to 'woo' other women.

Credit: Manchester Evening News / Trinity Mirror

Matt Peacock was horrified to notice that people were using fake profiles on dating websites and apps using his pictures.

Working alongside Rebecca Jane, of the Manchester-based 'Lady Detective Agency', the pair launched the 'Killing Catfish' campaign.

Rebecca, using her sharp skills, managed to track down one of the men, who had set up more than 50 fake profiles of Matt, and the two went to confront him.

Credit: Manchester Evening News / Trinity Mirror

"He was very apologetic when we spoke to him and said he would never do it again - and we believed that would be the end of it," Rebecca explained.

"He gave me his phone and I went through and found all the people he had been talking to.

"We rang them to let them know what had happened, and a lot of them took it very badly.

"A few days later one of the women got in touch with me to say he was doing it again. That was when I went to the police, but they said there was nothing they could do as it's not illegal."


Rebecca Jane, of the Manchester-based 'Lady Detective Agency' (Credit: Manchester Evening News / Trinity Mirror)

The Lady Detective Agency was established eight years ago after Rebecca found that her husband had been unfaithful to her.

This is not the first instance where people have come to her saying that they are being duped online - it's even happened to Rebecca with someone pretending to be her.

Credit: Manchester Evening News / Trinity Mirror

Credit: Manchester Evening News / Trinity Mirror

Rebecca and Matt have spent nine months campaigning to make catfishing illegal, with the backing of Stockport MP, Ann Coffey, who has now raised the issue in Parliament.

There's a 90-page report on the matter, and Rebecca added: "Now we just have to keep our fingers crossed.

"We have to put our campaign in the hands of the government and hope common sense prevails."

Featured Image Credit: Manchester Evening News/Trinity Mirror

Topics: Manchester, Tinder