Dr. Phil Interviews LDS Students Deceived by Catfish

Seven LDS women were featured on “Dr. Phil” Friday as they discussed their experience with their catfish — an LDS woman from Texas who pretended to be a man.

A catfish is someone who uses the Internet and/or social media to create a false identity and uses that identity to interact with others. “Using the photos of friends and a stockpile of excuses, [this woman] connected with eight Utah women and pretended to be a man with two different aliases,” reported The Universe. “One named Hyrum Young and the other named Hunter Anderson.”

The women started coming forward one-by-one, claiming to each have been victimized by this catfish as they were led on a two-sometimes-three-year romantic journey. Dr. Phil traveled to Salt Lake City in March to interview these women, their catfish, and the man whose identity was stolen and used by the catfish as her own.

“I finally had the opportunity to sit face to face with Kayla,” wrote one victim, Hilary Hayes, on her blog. “I had so many thoughts as to how that moment would go but never did I imagine that I would feel the way I did. I thought it might fill me with rage or maybe I would applaud her but instead, I teared up. As the person who had caused me and my soul sisters so much hurt walked toward me, all I could do was feel sorrow in my heart for her.” Watch the Dr. Phil episode in its entirety by watching the YouTube video above, or visiting DrPhil.com.