Friend catfishing neighbour on Insta - tell him?

[TwinklyBlueEagle]

My friend made a fake account for laughs on Instagram last year using photos of a model from Brazil and she has started using the account to catfish one of our neighbours because she thinks it’s funny. She has made it look very genuine and if I didn’t know it was fake I’d think it was a real account.

I personally think it’s really naughty to deceive someone I know into forming a relationship with a fake woman. I jokily told her she should stop but she didn’t think I meant it. The whole thing doesn’t sit right with me though but if I tell him she’ll think I’m a right backstabber.

What did you report it for exactly…?

Awful to neighbour and awful to the model too

as someone whose life has been destroyed by abuse inc stalking the thought of someone out there using a photo of me to catfish random men is horrifying

masquerading as another person is not ‘a laugh’ it’s a nasty trick at best and at worst potentially lethal

and frankly there should be no ‘jokily’ about it - catfishers should be told straight to stop and their victims - those being ‘fished’ and those whose identity was being ‘worn’ - also told what this reprobate has been at

Okay Hun.

Catfishing is damaging to mental health and has resulted in suicide/suicide attempts of victims who feel humiliated.

I would rather be perceived by a bully as a backstabber, than let someone become a victim to something that we know deeply impacts their well-being and mental health. Tell your friend to stop in a way that isn't 'joking' and tell the neighbour. It is really that simple.

Your 'friend' is an utter shit.

I couldn't be around anyone that vile.

It's not funny or impressive in the slightest.

You know people do.

Stop victim blaming.

Why would you "jokingly" tell her. If that was my friend I would be saying wtf is wrong with you, its a dreadful thing to do, and then tell the person being catfished. It's not back stabbing, it's the right thing to do. She clearly has issues if she has to resort to that behaviour so maybe tell her in a non joking way that she should be focusing in that rather than bring other people inadvertently into her shit fest.

I couldn't be friends with someone who did that.

I would tell him.

Your friend sounds like a complete moron. I'd tell the neighbour the truth and then bin the friend off.

I could not be friends with someone who'd deceive and manipulate another person like this.

but you were victim blaming.

I'd tell him the account is fake and that the pics are a Brazilian model but quietly (via an anon insta message or similar) partly to maintain reasonable neighbour relations and partly so as not to humiliate him. I'd also tell your "friend" in no uncertain terms that this is a horrible thing to do and distance yourself from her moving forward.

It is not "naughty" - you are using that word to minimise what she is actually doing, which is abusing the neighbour.

Your 'friend' is an arsehole. Why would you care that an arsehole thought you were "a right backstabber" - unless you are also an arsehole?

Naughty? Are you joking? It's sick and twisted. I would tell him and I wouldn't remain friends with anyone who did this.

She might want to listen to this. I assume Janessa Brazil is the name she’s using. This poor woman’s images are the most used in the world for catfishing. She’s a real person and is suffering as a result.

https://www.bbc.co.uk/sounds/play/w3ct4ppj

Report the Instagram account for impersonating the model with details of the actual model.

Get better friends.

That’s sick and disgusting behaviour. Tell her to stop it, and drop her as a friend. How can you call someone who is so cruel a friend?

She must be either very immature or a sociopath to want to torment some poor innocent bloke into thinking he's got an online lover. She could easily start extorting money off him, would that be funny? It's bang out of order.
I think you should tell her it's really gone too far now. She could get in bad trouble and if she doesn't stop you'll consider telling him.
She needs to close the catfish account. Tell her so in no uncertain terms.

Have you read what the person said? Disgusting assertion. A awful thing to falsely accuse me of.

It wasn't false.

It’s not “naughty”, it’s nasty, bullying behaviour and you are condoning it by not telling the poor sod she is lying to. Which in my book is as bad as being the one lying and mocking him. Do you laugh when she shows you the posts, or say nothing or do you tell her to stop. if it is either of the first two then ask yourself what this says about you.

In no way shape or form. There is no remote possibility.

She is a horrible person. Why would you want to be friends with her? What has the neighbour done to her to justify this?

Most definitely was. No victim blaming of any kind.

What a horrible thing to do.

The man she's cat fishing may be telling her private and personal details such as he feels lonely or down about things.

It's not a prank, it's not a joke, it's not funny, it's downright cruel and nasty.

Has this man wronged her in any way?

I would expose her.