Real stories. Practical ways to check.
Follow the evidence behind real cases. Learn what you can check, what the findings mean, and what questions remain.
Behind the headlines
Documented cases, with timelines and links to the original reporting.
DATING & CRIME · REAL STORY
Sam Nordquist: the return journey he never made
Sam Nordquist travelled to meet a woman he knew online. The planned return trip, a message read in court and two September 2026 life sentences.
Read the story →CATFISHING & FRAUD · REAL STORY
Christopher Harkins and the holidays that were never booked
Christopher Harkins collected money for holidays he never booked. The false banking problems, financial losses and 2024 court outcome.
Read the story →DATING & CRIME · REAL STORY
Sydney Loofe: the evidence behind the Audrey profile
Sydney Loofe's Tinder messages became evidence after she disappeared. A friend's search and phone records helped expose the person behind Audrey.
Read the story →CATFISHING & FRAUD · REAL STORY
The "police recruit" who never moved to Dunedin
An 18-year online romance cost a Dunedin man more than NZ$525,000. The false identity, guilty plea and sentencing still to come.
Read the story →CATFISHING & FRAUD · REAL STORY
The invented “Jad” and the grandparents demanding money
A dating profile and its supposed grandparents were one man's invention. The Glenn Boyd catfishing case and the September 2026 resentencing ruling.
Read the story →DATING & CRIME · REAL STORY
Ashley Wadsworth: the reassuring messages sent after her death
Ashley Wadsworth's friends received pleas for help, followed by reassurance. Investigators found the later messages were sent after her death.
Read the story →CATFISHING & FRAUD · REAL STORY
Thomas Godden: the romance that came with a repayment promise
Thomas Godden used dating apps and repayment promises to defraud three men. How messages exposed the deception, and what the official accounts confirm.
Read the story →DATING & CRIME · REAL STORY
The “Derek” messages: how two San Antonio murders were connected
Messages to an account called Derek helped investigators connect two San Antonio murders. The evidence and Jer Auntey Pleasant's 2026 sentencing.
Read the story →CATFISHING · REAL STORY
Adele Rennie: when the voice was part of the lie
A voice-changing app and a supposed friend supported Adele Rennie’s false identity. The evidence, sentence and later breach of a court order.
Read the story →DATING & CRIME · REAL STORY
Priscilla Castro: a dating-app murder and the fire that killed two more
Priscilla Castro went on a dating-app date in 2020. Her murder and a fire that killed two other people led to a 2025 sentence of 73 years to life.
Read the story →CATFISHING · REAL STORY
Sweet Bobby: the boyfriend behind a whole world of lies
How Kirat Assi uncovered an elaborate catfishing deception involving her cousin, invented contacts and the identity of a real man.
Read the story →ROMANCE FRAUD · REAL STORY
The fake Brad Pitt romance and the €830,000 loss
A reported romance scam used an impersonated celebrity, AI-generated hospital pictures and a medical emergency to persuade a French woman to send money.
Read the story →DATING & CRIME · REAL STORY
Grace Millane: the Tinder date reconstructed in court
The documented timeline of Grace Millane’s murder in Auckland, the evidence considered by the courts, and Jesse Kempson’s conviction and sentence.
Read the story →Practical search guides
Reverse phone lookup without a subscription
Look up a phone number with pay-as-you-go credits. See what a phone check can include, how pricing works, and how to start with 2 free credits.
Read the guide →How to check a dating-profile photo
Learn how to compare a dating-profile photo with potential image matches, assess the context, and understand what a face search does and does not show.
Read the guide →What can a phone lookup tell you?
Understand phone-lookup results: associated names, carrier, line type, addresses and linked accounts. Learn how to interpret missing or conflicting details.
Read the guide →