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The notion of the ‘romance scam’ conjures up a stereotype of a lonely victim who haplessly overlooks the deception of their fraudster because they are so desperate for love.
But Kirat Assi – who was targeted by one of the longest catfish frauds ever known – was neither lonely nor desperate.
The vivacious, popular and successful young radio presenter from London started chatting to Bobby, a handsome cardiologist, on Facebook in 2009. The pair knew of each other through their shared Sikh community and Bobby knew her second cousin, Simran.
Kirat fell in love with Bobby… but he wasn’t the person she thought he was, as their relationship developed solely online. She was planning a future with someone who simply did not exist in the way he was being presented.
In 2018 – eight years after she first started chatting with Bobby – Kirat learnt the truth. Simran, who had been supporting her through the romance, was the real Bobby.
Simran used the images of a real man, and set up numerous fake accounts to entrap Kirat into a fake relationship. When Kirat had her doubts about Bobby, she would verify them by checking with Bobby’s friends and family, and even his medical team. But it was all Simran.
Sweet Bobby: My Catfish Nightmare tells Kirat’s story (Picture: Netflix)
Now, the harrowing story is being told in the Netflix documentary, Sweet Bobby: My Catfish Nightmare.
Reflecting on this painful segment after already releasing a podcast on the subject might seem like a counterproductive way for Kirat, 44, to move on. But for her, it simply needs to happen to change the narrative for future catfishing victims. Plus she’s never really been able to escape this chapter of her life.
‘It’s never gone away. It’s always there,’ she told Metro. On top of the emotional implications, there is also an ongoing police case after Kirat was originally dismissed by authorities.
‘I hope by coming forward, other victims are not treated the same way,’ she shared.
Kirat thought she was speaking to Bobby (Picture: Netflix)
‘I didn’t want to be shamed into silence. If that happened nobody would know the extent of the problem, and nothing will ever be put in place to deal with it.’
Kirat speaks openly about how every aspect of her life became unrecognisable. Even before the heartbreaking lies were exposed, the relationship had become toxic.
As a result, she was signed off from her job as an arts and events assistant for Hounslow Community Services due to stress. She resigned from presenting a Punjabi community show on Radio Desi, as Bobby didn’t like her ‘flirting’ with listeners. She stopped seeing her friends and family and became isolated from everyone who wasn’t Simran. She never left the house without Bobby’s permission.
‘I wasn’t allowed to do anything,’ summarised Kirat.
She recalled one particularly horrific birthday. Bobby told Kirat they shared the same birth date, but he didn’t like …read more
Source:: Metro
