Catfish: The TV Show (2012–…): Season 5, Episode 19 - Luis & Sydney - full transcript
After falling for a single mother, a man wants to take their online relationship to the next level.
- I have some
strong feelings for her.
I love her.
- Something is up.
- Second-degree forgery?
Interfering
with a police officer.
She'’s certainly up to no good.
- That'’s [bleep] up.
- What else was she lying about?
- We found a profile.
From what we can tell,
is the actual girl
in the pictures
that you'’ve been using
on your page.
- Okay.
[dramatic music]
- Drum roll please.
- We started this season
in the summer.
We went through fall...
both: Winter, spring...
- And now we'’re back to summer.
- And even though
the calendar days
keep ticking away,
people keep emailing in.
- People need our help.
- All right.
Well, we got an email.
"Help, guys, I think
I moved too fast."
"My name is Luis,
and I am a 30-year-old
construction worker
from Newburgh, New York.
"I'’m also a single father
of three young girls.
"Reaching out to you is one of
the crazier things I'’ve done,
"but I'’m going for it
because of this amazing woman.
"Five months ago,
I met a girl
named Sydney online."
- ♪ Changed my mind
when I fell for you ♪
- "Once we started messaging,
I could tell we had
a connection."
- ♪ Ooh, never going
back again ♪
- "Sydney is a 22-year-old
single mom.
"She has opened up to me,
"and I know she has had
a difficult life.
"Ever since I met her,
she'’s been struggling
to take care of her grandma,
her sister, and her daughter."
- Wow.
[messages pulsating]
- "Her grandma passed
away recently,
"and it'’s made things
more difficult.
"With no place to go,
"Sydney and her daughter
have been in and out
of shelters
for the past two months."
- Wow.
- That'’s rough.
"And there are some things
about Sydney that don'’t add up."
- Uh-oh.
- "Although I'’ve talked
to Sydney
"over the phone,
we'’ve never video chatted.
"When I asked her for pictures,
she'’s never sent me any."
- Okay.
- "And she never posts
any photos
"of her and her daughter
on Facebook.
"I really care about Sydney,
and it makes me feel bad
"knowing that she'’s in a shelter
and we'’re so far apart.
I want to ask her and her
daughter to come live with me."
Whoa.
- Wow.
- "But I don'’t want to flip
"my life upside down
for someone
"that I now have doubts about.
"I want to meet her
face-to-face to know
"that she'’s not hiding anything.
"Before I can take
the next step,
"I need to know
who she really is.
Thanks, Luis."
Well, this is
an interesting story.
I mean, this girl Sydney
really has been playing
on Luis'’s heartstrings.
Now, it might be true,
and her whole story
might be real,
but she just might not be
the girl in the pictures.
- I mean, is it true
that she'’s in a shelter?
Maybe that'’s a lie.
Maybe she'’s trying
to get him to send money.
- I don'’t know.
I have a lot of questions.
- Well, let'’s ask him.
- All right.
Let'’s get him on the horn.
[phone line trilling]
both: Luis!
- Hey, how you doing?
both: Hey.
- How you doing, man?
- Welcome to the t-shirt club.
We'’re all wearing t-shirts.
- Well, it'’s hot.
- It'’s hot.
- It'’s summer.
- How are things
in Newburgh, New York?
- Good.
Everything is good over here.
- And you have three kids?
- Yeah, I have three daughters.
both: Wow.
- They live with their mother.
I get '’em every other weekend.
- Okay.
- So what'’s your dating life
like, generally?
Do you always look for girls
on the Internet
or do you meet them
in real life?
- This is my first time
doing this.
I mean, I'’m usually working
all the time.
70, 80 hours a week.
So I really don'’t have
the time to be dating,
and on the weekends,
when I don'’t work,
I get my daughters.
- So how is it
that you came to meet Sydney?
- I sent her a friend request.
It was
a "friends you may know."
We started talking from there.
[messages sounding]
She'’s caring.
I would love and support her.
She'’s a family person,
you know?
She'’s telling me
she'’s going through a lot.
She was taking care
of her daughter,
her little sister,
and her grandmother,
'’cause her mother was in jail.
- Wow, that'’s a--
I mean,
so she'’s got her hands full.
How old'’s her little sister?
- I believe she'’s six.
- Oh, like, really little.
How old is her daughter?
- The daughter'’s about seven
or eight months.
- Oh.
- Oh, my God.
- So she'’s got,
like, a newborn.
- Yeah.
Recently,
her grandmother passed away.
When she passed away,
she had to move out.
So she'’s been living
in a shelter.
- Has she ever
asked you for money?
- Well, like,
the first two weeks
when we were speaking,
she told me if I could
help her out with some money
to feed the kids and stuff.
So I sent her some money.
- How much?
- It was 60 bucks.
- That'’s it?
- Yeah.
- Okay.
In the last five months?
- Yeah.
- When you send her the money,
like, how are you sending it?
- Western Union.
- Like, to her name?
- Well, she said
that she didn'’t have an ID.
So she told me
to give a security question.
Her pet dog'’s name'’s Snowball.
So that'’s how she could
pick up the money.
- Right.
- Keyword: snowball.
- Yeah.
So that means
that when she goes
to pick up the money,
she doesn'’t have to show an ID.
She can just say,
"My pet'’s name is Snowball."
- So, okay.
There--there'’s some
sketchy things here.
- Yeah.
- What'’s in it for you
if she'’s not a catfish?
- Well, I mean,
I would like to,
like, move to the next step.
- She must be really hot.
- Yeah.
I have some strong
feelings for her.
I mean, I--
I love her, so.
- Do you guys say,
"I love you?"
- Yeah.
- All right,
well, look.
You'’ve got quite a story.
- Maybe you guys
are perfect for each other,
and maybe her life and your life
came together for a reason.
We'’re gonna try
and find out, but,
you know,
prepare yourself for anything.
So sit tight, and we'’ll meet up,
and we'’ll see if we can
figure out what'’s going on.
- Sure.
- Okay.
Hasta luego.
- Bye.
- Uh, this is not good.
- It'’s not gonna work out.
Within just meeting her--
- I know.
- She asked for money.
- Well, it sounded like
there'’s a lot more
she should be telling him
and explaining to him
about her mom.
- And the fact that she doesn'’t
post any pictures
of her daughter--
- Right.
- And that she'’s not
video chatting.
- Yeah. I don'’t have
a good feeling
about this girl.
- No.
All right, let'’s go--
let'’s go to Newburgh.
Let'’s help Luis.
- New York state of mind.
- ♪ Ooh, ooh, ooh
♪ Ooh, ooh, ooh
♪ It'’s the same old story
in a different book ♪
♪ When I said
I didn'’t love you ♪
♪ And that'’s all it took ♪
♪ Well, I can seek
but I might not find ♪
- Hopefully, this episode yields
a beautiful love story.
- ♪ Ooh, ooh, ooh
♪ Ooh, ooh, ooh
- Full steam ahead.
♪
- Feels good to be back
in New York,
I'’ll tell you that.
- N-Y.
- ♪ Ooh, ooh, ooh
- All right.
- ♪ Ooh, ooh, ooh
♪
[knocking]
- Hello?
- Hello!
- Luis!
- How you guys doing?
- What'’s up, dude?
- Hi.
- How you doing?
- Nice to meet you, man.
- After you.
So you'’re obviously
in a situation,
and you need some help
figuring out what to do next.
- Yeah.
- How'’d you guys get
to where you'’re at now?
- I guess I probably fell
in love with her
'’cause she'’s not like
all women that I'’ve dated.
You know, she'’s caring,
not only thinking about herself.
[messages pulsating]
She asks about me
and asks about my daughters.
Probably the attention that
she gave me pulled something up.
That'’s why I feel
what I feel for her.
- I mean, right away were you
guys flirting with each other?
- No. well, we were just talking
about, like, our families,
and she was just--
started telling me
about what she'’s going through.
Said that her daughter
was hungry,
and that'’s when I offered
to send her money
so she could get some food.
- So you just
straight-up offered?
- Yeah.
- Was she, kind of,
trying to get you to offer?
Like just,
"Man, we'’re really hungry.
We have no money for food."
- Before I sent her the money,
I told her, "How do I know
if it'’s for real?"
And she gave me her number.
[messages sounding]
I called her,
and that'’s how we spoke.
- Has she ever
texted you photos?
- No. When I asked,
ever since I'’ve known her,
she'’s told me that her phone
doesn'’t have a camera.
[laughing]
- Something is up.
- Yeah.
- I mean, the fact
that you have only talked
on the phone
with this girl
a handful of times--
she hasn'’t been able
to prove to you,
at all, that she'’s real--
and yet, you care for this girl
so much that you'’re willing
to ask her to move in with you.
I mean, you can understand
how crazy that sounds
as an outsider.
- Yeah, that sounds crazy.
But, I mean, I care for her
a lot, and I love her.
- Wow.
I'’m really curious to see
what Sydney looks like.
- Right, well, can you--
can you show us her page
and all the messages
that you guys have sent?
All right, so here'’s Sydney.
Okay, she'’s cute.
Very cute.
Do you guys
have messages on here
that we can look at really fast?
"How you been?"
"Okay, I guess."
"How are the girls?"
"Good, thanks."
"Where are you staying?"
She said right away,
"At a shelter."
Clearly, you guys
have this friendship
and you'’re there for each other.
I mean, here she'’s
sending you hearts now.
So it'’s starting to get
a little bit more romantic.
All right,
well, so look.
You'’re invested
in this relationship.
You want to figure out--
[phone ringing]
If Sydney is real.
- She'’s calling.
- She'’s calling?
- Answer it.
- Hello?
- Hey, what'’s up?
- I just got a break from work.
I'’m just--
- Yeah. You?
- What about your sister?
- Well, why wouldn'’t you
take her swimming?
- Any update on your mom?
- Oh, all right.
Well, I'’ll give you a call back
later on tonight.
- All right.
- Talk to you later.
- Bye.
- She'’s sweet.
- She sounds really sweet.
- Yeah.
She sounds like she'’s around
a bunch of yelling kids.
- Yeah.
- Sounds like she'’s at the pool.
That sounded genuine.
- She had answers ready
to go about your--her mom
and, like, the shelter, and--
- Yeah.
- Anyway, all right,
so look--
we know we'’re dealing
with someone here
who you care about,
who it appears
cares about you.
Now the question is,
who are they?
Is their whole life
and all the things
they'’ve told you true?
- Well, I mean, I just want to
meet her and see what happens.
- Right.
- What can go wrong?
- Famous last words.
[dramatic music]
- We need to figure out
who Sydney is.
- That phone call really
turned things around for me.
Whether or not she'’s the person
in the photos
is another question.
- Yeah, I agree.
She sounds,
both actually on the phone,
and by description,
wonderful.
Now, I don'’t want her story
to be true for her sake,
but I think it would be
devastating for Luis to find out
that she'’d been lying
about all of her circumstances.
[hip-hop music]
Wow, this is the fanciest--
- This is the nicest--
- Look at this.
- Café I'’ve ever been in.
All right, are we ready?
- Yep.
Get that blood flow.
- Yeah.
All right.
- Which shoulder? This one?
- Oh, yeah.
[bleep].
Oh, damn.
Jesus, that'’s good.
- Good.
[uplifting synth music]
- [mumbling]
♪
All right. All right.
- Okay, here we go.
Let'’s quickly
just refresh ourselves here.
Luis met Sydney
five or six months ago.
- Yeah.
- They sort of had
a cute little back and forth,
flirty friendship
for a few weeks.
And then,
the more he got to know her,
the more he learned
that she was struggling
and didn'’t really have
a place to stay.
And then her grandma died
and he sent her some money.
The whole time that Luis
and Sydney have been talking,
she'’s been having
a very dramatic and unfortunate,
sort of, series of events
happening in her life.
Most alarmingly, over the course
of the last five months,
Sydney has not been able
to send a photograph
or video chat with Luis.
- Right.
Doesn'’t add up.
- But they have spoken
on the phone.
We'’ve heard her voice.
She sounds like a young woman.
So there are some things
suggesting that she is real.
There'’s a lot of things
suggesting that she'’s not.
We got to figure it out.
- Okay.
- Here we go.
- All right.
- We got a little email
from Luis.
"I don'’t have a ton
of info on Sydney,
"but here'’s what I do know.
"Her name is Sydney Nicole,
and she'’s 22 years old,
"living in Dallas, Texas."
We got her Facebook page.
We got her phone number.
- All right, that'’s good.
Phone numbers are always good.
- Let'’s try that first.
[cymbal shimmering]
Ooh.
- What do we got?
- Wait, we got something.
- Who?
- T [bleep].
Someone in their late 50s,
and it'’s a man--
Tom.
So this is interesting.
- Well, run the phone number
on another app.
- Okay.
- So we'’re cross-referencing
the phone number.
- Cross-check.
- Cross-check.
- Nae [bleep].
Whoa.
- That last name matches
the last name there.
- That came up here.
Who is this?
Dallas, Texas.
But it says it'’s a landline.
So that'’s not great.
- No, that means it could be
an Internet phone number.
- Let'’s check the number
on this new website
that shows you where the phone
number was actually generated.
Okay.
- Nae [bleep].
- What is Nae short for?
- Desti-nae?
- Syd-nae?
- You got it.
I hope it'’s Syd-nae.
- I hope it is.
All right, so, now we need
to look up this--
- Nae [bleep].
- Okay.
Didn'’t find Nae [bleep].
- Hmm.
Well, Nae [bleep] is a clue.
- We found some good information
on who he might be talking to,
and it could be
this person, Nae.
Now we need to figure out
who is the girl in the pictures?
Is this girl'’s name Sydney?
Is it Nae?
Or is it some
other girl entirely?
So let'’s download these pictures
and image search them.
- All right.
Here we go.
- All right.
Let'’s see.
Mm.
- Oh, we got a match!
- Hold on a second.
Hold on a second.
- Hello.
both: Whoa!
- Who is this?
Monique [bleep].
- Oh, boy.
We got a hit on this image
for a girl named Monique.
That'’s the girl!
- Here are all the photos again.
This is the girl
in the pictures.
- Wow.
She used that one.
This one.
All right, so it looks like
the girl in the photos
that Sydney has been using is
actually a girl named Monique.
All right, let'’s just see
who this girl is.
I mean, look,
there'’s a lot of stuff comes up
when you--
when you search her name.
Okay, here we go.
"Monique [bleep],
18, was charged
"with second-degree forgery,
fourth-degree larceny,
and interfering
with a police officer."
This girl is,
like, up to no good.
So making a fake profile
and using it to scam sweet,
unsuspecting guys
using a fake name
is not something that I'’d be
surprised if she were doing.
- Could be.
- Crazy.
This could be her
making fake profiles
to scam guys out of money.
- What do we make of this?
Okay, so we'’ve got Monique.
She'’s the mask.
- She'’s the mask, but she'’s--
- She'’s the girl
in the pictures.
She is also a trouble maker.
- She'’s a criminal!
Could be her,
and this could be something
that she does to scam people
out of money.
- Sure.
- Then, there'’s this girl
who comes up
with the phone number,
whose name is Nae.
- Right.
- We don'’t know
anything about her.
But right now,
none of these are looking good.
- He'’s not talking to the girl
he thinks he'’s talking to,
and that is a bad sign.
[dramatic music]
- The real bummer here
is that it looks like
this girl'’s a catfish.
- Yeah.
Luis chose poorly.
So we got to drop a bomb
on this guy.
- Well, and the scary thing
is that he almost let her in
to his house.
- Into his house, yeah.
- Like, how scary if
she had showed up.
- What else was she lying about?
- Okay.
[knocking]
- Hey, what'’s up?
both: Hey.
- How you guys doing?
- There he is.
What'’s up, buddy?
Why don'’t we go inside?
We got some stuff to talk about.
All right.
So, you a little nervous?
- Little bit, yeah.
- I can see you shaking
a little.
It'’s funny--
if you sit back
and I ask you who'’s nervous,
the wall pretty much
says it all.
This guy.
This guy.
So this morning,
we did some research.
The first thing we did was
we searched the phone number.
It came up with Tom [bleep].
That doesn'’t seem
to help us much.
So then the next thing we did--
we searched the number again
on a different website.
- And we got this name.
- Nae.
Maybe her last name is [bleep],
and her first name
is actually Nae.
- Now, we were thinking
about Nae.
Is that for Desti-nae
or--
- Syd-nae?
- Syd-nae.
both: Could be.
- It'’s a stretch.
So we tried to figure out
a little bit more
with the new number.
So we searched it
on this cool website.
- Does, like,
a deep web search.
- And it also comes up.
Caller name, Nae [bleep].
So there'’s definitely something
going on here with that name.
Let'’s go back to Sydney'’s page
and see what we can find there.
So we scrolled through,
and the first thing we did
was we did an image search.
And sure enough,
there'’s a profile.
And the name on the account
isn'’t Sydney.
It'’s Monique.
Does that ring any bells?
- No.
- So now all of a sudden
we'’re thinking, like,
"Oh, boy.
"Maybe the real girl
in the pictures
is this girl, Monique."
Now, this is where it starts
to get really crazy.
We looked up this girl, Monique,
and we found a bunch
of articles.
The first article
we found was this.
"Monique was charged
with second-degree forgery,
"interfering
with a police officer,
and conspiracy to commit
fourth-degree larceny."
So this girl has been getting
in a lot of trouble.
- Yeah.
- And stealing.
It wouldn'’t be totally crazy
to think that this girl,
who'’s a little bit of a--
got a criminal mind,
might not have started
her own fake Facebook page,
using her own pictures,
to scam sweet guys
like yourself to get money.
- Yeah.
- And could Monique,
if it is who you'’re talking to,
be Nae [bleep]?
- Could be.
You'’re not talking to the person
that you think you are.
- It'’s not her.
I mean, this is [bleep] up.
- Yeah. I think we should
call her, together.
We'’d like to give her an
opportunity to explain herself
and see if I can get her
to agree to meet up with us.
- Yeah.
- All right,
well, here goes nothing.
[dramatic electronic music]
[phone line trilling]
♪
- Please leave your message
after the tone.
[phone beeps]
- Hello, Sydney.
This is Nev,
and I'’m calling from
the TV show, "Catfish."
And we'’d love to ask you
a few questions.
Give me a call back
at this number.
Thanks.
All right.
So, look.
The reality of the situation now
is that whoever
you'’ve been talking to,
they'’ve been lying to you.
You know, we'’ve got
to figure out, obviously,
who you'’re talking to,
but you also now need
to start thinking about
whether to continue possibly
pursuing a relationship
with this girl.
Hopefully we'’ll get a response.
As soon as we do, we'’ll
figure out what to do next.
- All right.
- All right.
So sit tight.
- All right, man.
- We'’ll talk to you later.
- All right, thanks.
[dramatic music]
[phone ringtone chiming]
- Okay. Whoa!
- Wow.
- Is that her?
That is her.
- Oh, my God.
Hello?
[dramatic electronic music]
♪
[phone ringtone chiming]
- Okay. Whoa!
- Wow.
- Is that her?
That is her.
- Oh, my God.
Hello?
- Yeah, hi,
is this Sydney?
- Hey, this is Nev.
Do you know who I am?
Have you seen our show?
- Okay, cool.
I was just sitting with Luis.
- And he told us, you know,
just all about
the last few months,
that you guys have been talking
and that he'’s wanted
to meet you.
And so we were trying
to just check in with you
and find out how you feel
about the whole situation.
- I understand the timing
may not be great.
I will say, though, however,
we just did some searching
on the Internet.
We found a profile
of a girl named Monique
who from what we can tell,
is the actual girl
in the pictures
that you'’ve been using
on your page.
- We'’re pretty confident
the girl in the pictures
is Monique and not you.
- Okay, so that is you
in the pictures on your page.
- Luis wants to meet you.
- He'’s holding himself
kind of in limbo pursuing you
and not pursuing
another relationship,
because he'’s, you know,
he'’s worried about you.
He cares about you,
and he'’s interested in you.
- I completely understand.
Think about, maybe, a place
you would like to meet.
We could leave tomorrow morning
and be down there,
you know, tomorrow afternoon.
- Okay.
Bye.
I mean, weird.
- First, I mean,
she kind of very avidly denies
that she'’s using
someone else'’s picture.
- Well, right,
she'’s very confident and calm.
- Yeah.
Maybe--
both: Maybe we'’re wrong.
[dramatic music]
[upbeat rock music]
- All right, here we go.
We should text her to let her
know that we'’re on our way.
♪
So what do you got?
- "This afternoon
we land in Dallas.
I'’m excited to meet you today."
- All right.
- Great.
- Perfect.
- Hit send.
- I hit it.
- ♪ Nothing that is coming
♪ Gonna stand in my way today
- All right.
♪
- ♪ Baby, baby
♪ I can'’t come down ♪
- She said,
"I'’m excited too?"
- Yeah.
- ♪ I am higher now
♪ Some may stop
at the ceiling ♪
♪ I'’m gonna fly away ♪
- So we can go see her now.
- Yeah, let'’s go.
I'’m ready.
- ♪ I can'’t come down ♪
- All right, we made it.
Texas.
So what do you think?
Think she'’ll show up?
- Hoping she will.
If she'’s saying--
she answered the text
and everything, so...
She said, "I'’m by the baseball
field over by the lake."
- Well, that sounds like
a catfish meeting place
if I'’ve ever heard of one.
- Yeah.
Said, "Okay, we are on our way.
I'’m very excited to meet you."
- There you go.
- Yeah.
Let'’s get the truth.
- We'’re only, like, five
minutes away from this park.
It'’s kind of crazy.
- Yeah?
- Yeah.
So we'’ll be there
really soon.
- If it'’s not her, Luis--
it'’s not the girl
in the pictures--
what are you gonna
want to know?
- Why she lied.
♪
- Well, this looks
like the park.
Ooh, here'’s a baseball field.
There'’s a lake.
- There'’s the lake
by the baseball field.
- So this must be it.
- Yep.
[dramatic music]
♪
- How do you feel?
- Nervous.
- Do you think
you'’re ready to do this?
- Yeah.
- All right, then.
♪
Okay, I see someone over there.
- Sitting under a tree.
I see a woman.
I think this is our person.
- That'’s not the girl
from the picture, though, right?
- Not the girl
from the picture.
both: Hi.
- Sydney, I presume.
- Yes.
- I'’m Max.
What'’s your name?
- Nae.
- You'’re Nae.
- Yeah.
- Okay.
- Nae. Hi.
- Hi.
- Nev.
- Are you the person
we'’ve been talking to
and the person Luis
has been talking to?
- Yeah.
- And how did you find
that girl whose pictures
you used?
- You know those things
when they'’re on Facebook
and it'’s like,
"Like if you like McDonald'’s"?
- Yeah?
- I scrolled down
through the likes
and I found her,
and I seen that she lived
really far away from Dallas,
so I just kind of
took her pictures,
blocked her
from the page, and...
- You--you found
her profile randomly,
downloaded her photos,
blocked her, and then
you just made up the rest.
- Yeah.
- When we spoke yesterday,
I asked you--
- Yeah.
- If you were the girl
in the pictures,
'’cause I didn'’t
think you were.
- I didn'’t think--
I really didn'’t think
that I would even show up today.
- Well, we'’re glad
that you did.
- Yeah.
- Okay, so what'’s true
and what'’s not true?
- Um...
- Are you really staying
in a shelter?
♪
- No.
- No?
[cymbal shimmers]
- Okay.
Is your mother in prison?
- No.
♪
- And did your
grandmother die?
- No.
♪
- Wow.
Why would you make
that stuff up?
- I mean,...
it was just--
I don'’t know,
like, at the time--
it'’s just hard
to explain, I guess.
- All right.
Well, we'’re here.
So take--
we'’re--
take a deep breath
and explain.
- Okay.
At a point in time,
I was just really struggling,
I guess.
I just had my baby.
- Okay.
But you do have an infant.
- Yes.
That'’s true.
- Okay.
- And I was like,
"Okay, baby'’s gonna need milk.
"Baby'’s gonna need diapers.
Baby'’s gonna need clothes."
And--and I was just
talking to Luis, like,
to get him
to send me money.
[cymbal shimmering]
- And Luis sent you some money.
- Yeah.
- Okay.
I mean, that'’s messed up.
- What kind of person does that?
- I mean--
- But--
I mean, I understand
you were having a hard time,
but, like, to lie
about who you were
and sort of lead him on--
get Luis to give you money--
what you'’re describing
is a con artist.
- No.
- I mean, I know it doesn'’t
sound like that to you.
- No, I mean,
because I'’m not--
that'’s not who I am.
Like, I basically only did that
because of my situation
at the time.
I was just struggling
really bad, so--
- But you'’re--
but you'’re not homeless.
- No.
- Where do you live?
- With my mom.
- Does your baby
dad live with you?
- No.
- Is he involved at all
with you and them and...
- No.
- No?
But you live with your mom.
- Yes.
- So, for the most part,
your basic needs are met.
- Yeah, because of me,
not nobody else.
- But you work for money?
- No.
- No.
So when you say you'’re
struggling and you need money,
it'’s because your family
doesn'’t have a lot of money
and you need to get things
for you and your daughter?
- Yes.
- What about getting a job?
♪
- What about getting a job?
[dramatic music]
- Okay.
So you came up with that stuff
so that Luis would
send you some money?
- Yeah, as messed up
as it sounds.
- I mean,
it'’s messed up.
I understand
you were struggling,
but it'’s really not something
you'’re supposed to do, you know?
It'’s not--
it'’s not right.
- No, but, I mean,
like, honestly,
it just wasn'’t about money.
I mean, we talked
without me asking for money.
I really did care for you.
- Do you now have feelings
for Luis or no?
- Um...
[cymbal shimmers]
Yeah.
Because, I mean,
when I talked to him,
he was just
a little different than,
you know...
you know, like--
- How was he different?
- '’Cause, I mean,
he'’s just really cool
and laid back,
and, like, I'’m not
really just used to that.
But, I mean, with him it was,
kind of, like, different.
I mean, he takes care
of his kids really good.
I mean, he works.
He'’s a really hard worker.
And at the time, like,
I did really want to try
and stop talking to you.
But, I mean,
it was just really hard
because we were talking
every day
and everything just felt okay--
I, kind of, like,
forgot I was me
for a second.
So when I was talking to Luis,
and he was like,
"Oh, I'’m with my girls.
I'’m doing this. I'’m doing that."
Of course it was like,
okay, well--you know?
- "I'’d like to have
a guy like that."
- Yeah, my point.
I just fell in love with him.
I mean, he'’s great.
I was like,
"Okay, this is somebody
"that I do see myself
wanting to be with."
- Right.
- This is the kind of guy
that I would want to be with.
That'’s why I'’m coming clean now.
'’Cause I do want
to move forward from this.
I mean, like, you'’re something
that I don'’t have right now.
♪
- How do you feel?
- Like a dumbass.
♪
I don'’t know, I probably
shouldn'’t have trusted so much.
- No, it'’s not your fault.
He has every right
to feel however he wants
to feel about this.
I just want him to know
that I still
will be there for him
at the end of the day.
I do still want to be friends.
[melancholy music]
- I don'’t know.
Everything'’s, like,
going crazy in my head.
I don'’t even, like,
have all the words in my mind
to come out right now,
but it just sucks.
It sucks too, you know?
- You seem like you know
what you did was wrong.
- I do.
If I didn'’t feel bad
about what I did,
I would have never showed up.
I truly--
I really feel horrible.
- I think maybe
the best thing to do,
then, is to take
a break for now,
let Luis process this,
and then maybe
we'’ll meet again tomorrow.
- Okay.
- It'’s a lot to take in.
- Yeah, I'’m really sorry.
I really am.
[driving electronic music]
- All right, so we'’ll see you,
hopefully, tomorrow.
We'’ll let you know.
- Okay.
- Good to meet you.
- Bye.
- ♪ More than expression
♪ Believe in me now
♪ Believe an intention
♪ Lend me your faith
♪ Don'’t ask any questions ♪
- All right,
let'’s get the hell out of here.
- I'’m disappointed, you know?
I wasn'’t expecting for her
to be a liar or con artist.
- Well, look,
think about all this,
because you did put
a lot of time into this.
You invited this girl
to come live with you.
But there'’s definitely still
a little bit left to deal with
before this is all finished.
- ♪ You'’re only human ♪
[somber piano music]
♪
- How are you feeling about
the whole experience right now?
- Disappointed.
I came to meet somebody
that'’s not even real.
- Are you, like,
mad at her for it?
- Yeah, I'’m mad at her,
but, like, I'’m a little
more mad at myself,
'’cause I let it get this far.
- I'’m assuming you want
to go see her again
and sit down
and talk some more.
- Yeah, I mean,
just to let her know
that it'’s wrong
and that, like,
she can'’t keep doing this.
She keeps doing this
and she'’s around her daughter,
she'’s gonna be picking up
on the stuff she does.
And you can'’t have children,
you know, raised like that.
- Yeah.
Well, I think,
you know, we'’re here.
We may as well go over
and see what she has to say.
- You ready?
- Yeah.
- Let'’s do it.
- ♪ Memories
♪ Evaporate
♪ It'’s been this way since ♪
- She lied about who she is.
So, like, how is there any way
to believe anything she says?
- Right.
- ♪ Memories I create
♪ It'’s been this way
since I was born ♪
♪ So please leave me alone
- This is it.
All right.
♪
Hey.
- Hey.
- How are you?
- I'’m good, and you?
- Good.
- Hi.
- I don'’t think we covered
everything yesterday.
- Yeah.
- Everyone was a little nervous.
It was a little awkward.
So that'’s why
we'’re here today.
- Yeah.
- To kind of hash things out
a bit more,
say a little bit more.
So...
- Mm-hmm?
Do you want to,
maybe, sort of,
start things off for us here?
- Yesterday was just
a little weird for me
because I felt like,
"I'’m gonna really hurt
his feelings.
"Like, I'’m gonna put--"
you know,
"I'’m gonna see him
and I'’m just not
"gonna be able to speak,
'’cause I'’m thinking
he'’s gonna be, like,
really, really hurt."
To see him just okay,
it was just like, "Well."
I just felt like you
really didn'’t care as much.
[cymbal shimmers]
- Well,
so that'’s interesting.
So you were hurt yesterday--
- Yeah.
- Because you felt
like this friendship--
relationship--
was genuine and real,
and that him not being
that hurt by it actually
surprised
and sort of hurt you.
- Yeah.
- This is sort of a first.
It'’s unusual that someone
in your position,
who had been lying,
and in this case lied
about pretty much everything,
and in fact had actually
taken advantage of someone,
would be surprised
and even a little hurt--
- Yeah.
- That Luis wasn'’t more upset.
- I mean, we did have
a connection.
I really do have a caring heart,
and I never meant
to hurt anybody.
- Well, I don'’t--
I don'’t know.
I don'’t know
what to believe anymore.
- Yeah.
- The issue here is, like,
as a result
of your circumstances,
which are unfortunate,
you did develop
a very good skill
of sort of
"playing the victim."
- Which you could be doing
right now with us.
- Right.
- Here'’s my problem.
We heard you guys
talk the other day.
We heard you say at the pool
that you were there,
and you got to go back
to the shelter,
and you were very convincing.
- Even when I called you
before we came down here,
knowing that you were not
the girl in the pictures,
you very convincingly
lied to me,
so much so that I actually
second-guessed it.
- Anything I say,
you guys won'’t believe me.
So basically it'’s like,
whatever I say--
- Well, that'’s part
of the problem.
- Let'’s just roll with it,
'’cause I mean,
even if I am being
completely honest,
you guys are still gonna
question everything I say.
- That'’s the problem
with scamming and lying.
- What'’s the truth?
Why are we really here?
Why did this go on so long?
- Okay, you know what?
Now it'’s to the point to where,
like you guys said,
you'’re not gonna believe me
and what I say anyway.
So I might as well
just say how I truly feel.
This means nothing to me.
I guess you could say
I'’m cold hearted
'’cause I'’m not thinking
of his feelings.
At the end of the day,
from a mother'’s point of view,
no matter what anybody
thinks of me,
if my kids need something,
I can'’t get it at the time,
I'’m gonna do whatever I can do
to provide for my kids.
That'’s a mother'’s nature,
period.
- Great excuse.
- So, I mean--
no, it'’s not an excuse.
- It is an excuse.
- I mean,
I'’ve been through a lot, too,
and I don'’t like
to make excuses.
I just--
I do it on my own.
- You'’ve conned everyone.
[dramatic piano music]
How do you feel, Luis?
- Well, I mean, I thought
she was a great person.
I thought she was trusting
and--and really caring.
But it'’s really just fake.
- So you didn'’t have
very strong,
if any, feelings for him?
- Like, at the end
of the day, yes,
a scam artist is a scam artist.
Whatever you want to call me.
But I mean,
when you are talking
to somebody every day,
they don'’t know that.
So they'’re still telling you
how they'’re feeling,
what'’s going on with them.
You know.
- Right.
- So at a point in time,
it gets to where
you are caring for them
in some kind of way.
Because I did talk to you
about everything,
and you talked to me
about everything,
and I felt like we kind
of needed each other
to get through the stuff
that we were going through
at the time.
You really don'’t have
to believe anything,
but I mean, that is the one
true thing from all of this.
♪
- Your coming clean now is not
the definitive end to this.
It'’s totally determined
by what you do after this.
- I mean, '’cause we'’re
gonna leave.
Life goes on.
I'’m gonna go back
to work tomorrow,
and who knows if you'’re
gonna change or not.
But it'’s better for you,
for your conscience,
and for your kid,
to just do the right things
instead of making up
fake pages and stuff.
- Yeah.
At the end of the day,
I don'’t want to keep doing this.
- Right.
But the problem
is you'’ve created
a version of yourself
that'’s so good
at playing the victim--
- Yeah.
- That you really
need to, like--
- Recalibrate.
- Right, you need
to recalibrate.
It'’s important
that you start really,
like, speaking the truth.
- Okay.
I did learn my lesson.
It'’s not right.
I know that
I'’m never gonna do this again.
- This version of Nae
feels a lot more genuine.
No one wants anyone to struggle.
Ask for help.
Listen to me.
- Yeah.
- I hope you can
change your ways
and be there for your daughter.
Just keep your head up.
- Yeah, and I'’m really
sorry about everything.
- I hope you really
are sorry, though.
- No, I am.
- I mean, really.
I don'’t got nothing to say.
Just good luck.
- I think we'’ve left things
on good terms.
Nae, good to meet you.
- Yeah, nice meeting you.
- Take care, Nae.
- Take care.
- Yeah.
You too.
♪
- ♪ Oh, love,
how you break me up ♪
♪ You have sunk me to a wreck
♪ Now I ask you
set my heart free ♪
♪ I don'’t want
to hear your call ♪
- So what'’s next for Luis?
- To be with my daughters
and give more time
to them, you know?
- What about love?
- I'’ll keep it on hold for--
I got to find myself first,
you know?
- You'’re a good guy, Luis.
- I don'’t think you need to do
too much work on you.
I think you just need
to find the right person.
- Yeah.
- Put yourself out there.
- Will do.
♪
- ♪ Don'’t want to hear
your call ♪
- Do you feel like you might be
falling in love with this guy?
- I do.
- Uh-oh.
- Oh, look at that.
- This is a married guy.
- What?
- This has happened
more than 60 times, now.
- This is our guy.
- You just have to wonder
what was going
through his mind.
- Who is this person?
- We'’re about to find out.
- I see him.
1142
00:41:05.
strong feelings for her.
I love her.
- Something is up.
- Second-degree forgery?
Interfering
with a police officer.
She'’s certainly up to no good.
- That'’s [bleep] up.
- What else was she lying about?
- We found a profile.
From what we can tell,
is the actual girl
in the pictures
that you'’ve been using
on your page.
- Okay.
[dramatic music]
- Drum roll please.
- We started this season
in the summer.
We went through fall...
both: Winter, spring...
- And now we'’re back to summer.
- And even though
the calendar days
keep ticking away,
people keep emailing in.
- People need our help.
- All right.
Well, we got an email.
"Help, guys, I think
I moved too fast."
"My name is Luis,
and I am a 30-year-old
construction worker
from Newburgh, New York.
"I'’m also a single father
of three young girls.
"Reaching out to you is one of
the crazier things I'’ve done,
"but I'’m going for it
because of this amazing woman.
"Five months ago,
I met a girl
named Sydney online."
- ♪ Changed my mind
when I fell for you ♪
- "Once we started messaging,
I could tell we had
a connection."
- ♪ Ooh, never going
back again ♪
- "Sydney is a 22-year-old
single mom.
"She has opened up to me,
"and I know she has had
a difficult life.
"Ever since I met her,
she'’s been struggling
to take care of her grandma,
her sister, and her daughter."
- Wow.
[messages pulsating]
- "Her grandma passed
away recently,
"and it'’s made things
more difficult.
"With no place to go,
"Sydney and her daughter
have been in and out
of shelters
for the past two months."
- Wow.
- That'’s rough.
"And there are some things
about Sydney that don'’t add up."
- Uh-oh.
- "Although I'’ve talked
to Sydney
"over the phone,
we'’ve never video chatted.
"When I asked her for pictures,
she'’s never sent me any."
- Okay.
- "And she never posts
any photos
"of her and her daughter
on Facebook.
"I really care about Sydney,
and it makes me feel bad
"knowing that she'’s in a shelter
and we'’re so far apart.
I want to ask her and her
daughter to come live with me."
Whoa.
- Wow.
- "But I don'’t want to flip
"my life upside down
for someone
"that I now have doubts about.
"I want to meet her
face-to-face to know
"that she'’s not hiding anything.
"Before I can take
the next step,
"I need to know
who she really is.
Thanks, Luis."
Well, this is
an interesting story.
I mean, this girl Sydney
really has been playing
on Luis'’s heartstrings.
Now, it might be true,
and her whole story
might be real,
but she just might not be
the girl in the pictures.
- I mean, is it true
that she'’s in a shelter?
Maybe that'’s a lie.
Maybe she'’s trying
to get him to send money.
- I don'’t know.
I have a lot of questions.
- Well, let'’s ask him.
- All right.
Let'’s get him on the horn.
[phone line trilling]
both: Luis!
- Hey, how you doing?
both: Hey.
- How you doing, man?
- Welcome to the t-shirt club.
We'’re all wearing t-shirts.
- Well, it'’s hot.
- It'’s hot.
- It'’s summer.
- How are things
in Newburgh, New York?
- Good.
Everything is good over here.
- And you have three kids?
- Yeah, I have three daughters.
both: Wow.
- They live with their mother.
I get '’em every other weekend.
- Okay.
- So what'’s your dating life
like, generally?
Do you always look for girls
on the Internet
or do you meet them
in real life?
- This is my first time
doing this.
I mean, I'’m usually working
all the time.
70, 80 hours a week.
So I really don'’t have
the time to be dating,
and on the weekends,
when I don'’t work,
I get my daughters.
- So how is it
that you came to meet Sydney?
- I sent her a friend request.
It was
a "friends you may know."
We started talking from there.
[messages sounding]
She'’s caring.
I would love and support her.
She'’s a family person,
you know?
She'’s telling me
she'’s going through a lot.
She was taking care
of her daughter,
her little sister,
and her grandmother,
'’cause her mother was in jail.
- Wow, that'’s a--
I mean,
so she'’s got her hands full.
How old'’s her little sister?
- I believe she'’s six.
- Oh, like, really little.
How old is her daughter?
- The daughter'’s about seven
or eight months.
- Oh.
- Oh, my God.
- So she'’s got,
like, a newborn.
- Yeah.
Recently,
her grandmother passed away.
When she passed away,
she had to move out.
So she'’s been living
in a shelter.
- Has she ever
asked you for money?
- Well, like,
the first two weeks
when we were speaking,
she told me if I could
help her out with some money
to feed the kids and stuff.
So I sent her some money.
- How much?
- It was 60 bucks.
- That'’s it?
- Yeah.
- Okay.
In the last five months?
- Yeah.
- When you send her the money,
like, how are you sending it?
- Western Union.
- Like, to her name?
- Well, she said
that she didn'’t have an ID.
So she told me
to give a security question.
Her pet dog'’s name'’s Snowball.
So that'’s how she could
pick up the money.
- Right.
- Keyword: snowball.
- Yeah.
So that means
that when she goes
to pick up the money,
she doesn'’t have to show an ID.
She can just say,
"My pet'’s name is Snowball."
- So, okay.
There--there'’s some
sketchy things here.
- Yeah.
- What'’s in it for you
if she'’s not a catfish?
- Well, I mean,
I would like to,
like, move to the next step.
- She must be really hot.
- Yeah.
I have some strong
feelings for her.
I mean, I--
I love her, so.
- Do you guys say,
"I love you?"
- Yeah.
- All right,
well, look.
You'’ve got quite a story.
- Maybe you guys
are perfect for each other,
and maybe her life and your life
came together for a reason.
We'’re gonna try
and find out, but,
you know,
prepare yourself for anything.
So sit tight, and we'’ll meet up,
and we'’ll see if we can
figure out what'’s going on.
- Sure.
- Okay.
Hasta luego.
- Bye.
- Uh, this is not good.
- It'’s not gonna work out.
Within just meeting her--
- I know.
- She asked for money.
- Well, it sounded like
there'’s a lot more
she should be telling him
and explaining to him
about her mom.
- And the fact that she doesn'’t
post any pictures
of her daughter--
- Right.
- And that she'’s not
video chatting.
- Yeah. I don'’t have
a good feeling
about this girl.
- No.
All right, let'’s go--
let'’s go to Newburgh.
Let'’s help Luis.
- New York state of mind.
- ♪ Ooh, ooh, ooh
♪ Ooh, ooh, ooh
♪ It'’s the same old story
in a different book ♪
♪ When I said
I didn'’t love you ♪
♪ And that'’s all it took ♪
♪ Well, I can seek
but I might not find ♪
- Hopefully, this episode yields
a beautiful love story.
- ♪ Ooh, ooh, ooh
♪ Ooh, ooh, ooh
- Full steam ahead.
♪
- Feels good to be back
in New York,
I'’ll tell you that.
- N-Y.
- ♪ Ooh, ooh, ooh
- All right.
- ♪ Ooh, ooh, ooh
♪
[knocking]
- Hello?
- Hello!
- Luis!
- How you guys doing?
- What'’s up, dude?
- Hi.
- How you doing?
- Nice to meet you, man.
- After you.
So you'’re obviously
in a situation,
and you need some help
figuring out what to do next.
- Yeah.
- How'’d you guys get
to where you'’re at now?
- I guess I probably fell
in love with her
'’cause she'’s not like
all women that I'’ve dated.
You know, she'’s caring,
not only thinking about herself.
[messages pulsating]
She asks about me
and asks about my daughters.
Probably the attention that
she gave me pulled something up.
That'’s why I feel
what I feel for her.
- I mean, right away were you
guys flirting with each other?
- No. well, we were just talking
about, like, our families,
and she was just--
started telling me
about what she'’s going through.
Said that her daughter
was hungry,
and that'’s when I offered
to send her money
so she could get some food.
- So you just
straight-up offered?
- Yeah.
- Was she, kind of,
trying to get you to offer?
Like just,
"Man, we'’re really hungry.
We have no money for food."
- Before I sent her the money,
I told her, "How do I know
if it'’s for real?"
And she gave me her number.
[messages sounding]
I called her,
and that'’s how we spoke.
- Has she ever
texted you photos?
- No. When I asked,
ever since I'’ve known her,
she'’s told me that her phone
doesn'’t have a camera.
[laughing]
- Something is up.
- Yeah.
- I mean, the fact
that you have only talked
on the phone
with this girl
a handful of times--
she hasn'’t been able
to prove to you,
at all, that she'’s real--
and yet, you care for this girl
so much that you'’re willing
to ask her to move in with you.
I mean, you can understand
how crazy that sounds
as an outsider.
- Yeah, that sounds crazy.
But, I mean, I care for her
a lot, and I love her.
- Wow.
I'’m really curious to see
what Sydney looks like.
- Right, well, can you--
can you show us her page
and all the messages
that you guys have sent?
All right, so here'’s Sydney.
Okay, she'’s cute.
Very cute.
Do you guys
have messages on here
that we can look at really fast?
"How you been?"
"Okay, I guess."
"How are the girls?"
"Good, thanks."
"Where are you staying?"
She said right away,
"At a shelter."
Clearly, you guys
have this friendship
and you'’re there for each other.
I mean, here she'’s
sending you hearts now.
So it'’s starting to get
a little bit more romantic.
All right,
well, so look.
You'’re invested
in this relationship.
You want to figure out--
[phone ringing]
If Sydney is real.
- She'’s calling.
- She'’s calling?
- Answer it.
- Hello?
- Hey, what'’s up?
- I just got a break from work.
I'’m just--
- Yeah. You?
- What about your sister?
- Well, why wouldn'’t you
take her swimming?
- Any update on your mom?
- Oh, all right.
Well, I'’ll give you a call back
later on tonight.
- All right.
- Talk to you later.
- Bye.
- She'’s sweet.
- She sounds really sweet.
- Yeah.
She sounds like she'’s around
a bunch of yelling kids.
- Yeah.
- Sounds like she'’s at the pool.
That sounded genuine.
- She had answers ready
to go about your--her mom
and, like, the shelter, and--
- Yeah.
- Anyway, all right,
so look--
we know we'’re dealing
with someone here
who you care about,
who it appears
cares about you.
Now the question is,
who are they?
Is their whole life
and all the things
they'’ve told you true?
- Well, I mean, I just want to
meet her and see what happens.
- Right.
- What can go wrong?
- Famous last words.
[dramatic music]
- We need to figure out
who Sydney is.
- That phone call really
turned things around for me.
Whether or not she'’s the person
in the photos
is another question.
- Yeah, I agree.
She sounds,
both actually on the phone,
and by description,
wonderful.
Now, I don'’t want her story
to be true for her sake,
but I think it would be
devastating for Luis to find out
that she'’d been lying
about all of her circumstances.
[hip-hop music]
Wow, this is the fanciest--
- This is the nicest--
- Look at this.
- Café I'’ve ever been in.
All right, are we ready?
- Yep.
Get that blood flow.
- Yeah.
All right.
- Which shoulder? This one?
- Oh, yeah.
[bleep].
Oh, damn.
Jesus, that'’s good.
- Good.
[uplifting synth music]
- [mumbling]
♪
All right. All right.
- Okay, here we go.
Let'’s quickly
just refresh ourselves here.
Luis met Sydney
five or six months ago.
- Yeah.
- They sort of had
a cute little back and forth,
flirty friendship
for a few weeks.
And then,
the more he got to know her,
the more he learned
that she was struggling
and didn'’t really have
a place to stay.
And then her grandma died
and he sent her some money.
The whole time that Luis
and Sydney have been talking,
she'’s been having
a very dramatic and unfortunate,
sort of, series of events
happening in her life.
Most alarmingly, over the course
of the last five months,
Sydney has not been able
to send a photograph
or video chat with Luis.
- Right.
Doesn'’t add up.
- But they have spoken
on the phone.
We'’ve heard her voice.
She sounds like a young woman.
So there are some things
suggesting that she is real.
There'’s a lot of things
suggesting that she'’s not.
We got to figure it out.
- Okay.
- Here we go.
- All right.
- We got a little email
from Luis.
"I don'’t have a ton
of info on Sydney,
"but here'’s what I do know.
"Her name is Sydney Nicole,
and she'’s 22 years old,
"living in Dallas, Texas."
We got her Facebook page.
We got her phone number.
- All right, that'’s good.
Phone numbers are always good.
- Let'’s try that first.
[cymbal shimmering]
Ooh.
- What do we got?
- Wait, we got something.
- Who?
- T [bleep].
Someone in their late 50s,
and it'’s a man--
Tom.
So this is interesting.
- Well, run the phone number
on another app.
- Okay.
- So we'’re cross-referencing
the phone number.
- Cross-check.
- Cross-check.
- Nae [bleep].
Whoa.
- That last name matches
the last name there.
- That came up here.
Who is this?
Dallas, Texas.
But it says it'’s a landline.
So that'’s not great.
- No, that means it could be
an Internet phone number.
- Let'’s check the number
on this new website
that shows you where the phone
number was actually generated.
Okay.
- Nae [bleep].
- What is Nae short for?
- Desti-nae?
- Syd-nae?
- You got it.
I hope it'’s Syd-nae.
- I hope it is.
All right, so, now we need
to look up this--
- Nae [bleep].
- Okay.
Didn'’t find Nae [bleep].
- Hmm.
Well, Nae [bleep] is a clue.
- We found some good information
on who he might be talking to,
and it could be
this person, Nae.
Now we need to figure out
who is the girl in the pictures?
Is this girl'’s name Sydney?
Is it Nae?
Or is it some
other girl entirely?
So let'’s download these pictures
and image search them.
- All right.
Here we go.
- All right.
Let'’s see.
Mm.
- Oh, we got a match!
- Hold on a second.
Hold on a second.
- Hello.
both: Whoa!
- Who is this?
Monique [bleep].
- Oh, boy.
We got a hit on this image
for a girl named Monique.
That'’s the girl!
- Here are all the photos again.
This is the girl
in the pictures.
- Wow.
She used that one.
This one.
All right, so it looks like
the girl in the photos
that Sydney has been using is
actually a girl named Monique.
All right, let'’s just see
who this girl is.
I mean, look,
there'’s a lot of stuff comes up
when you--
when you search her name.
Okay, here we go.
"Monique [bleep],
18, was charged
"with second-degree forgery,
fourth-degree larceny,
and interfering
with a police officer."
This girl is,
like, up to no good.
So making a fake profile
and using it to scam sweet,
unsuspecting guys
using a fake name
is not something that I'’d be
surprised if she were doing.
- Could be.
- Crazy.
This could be her
making fake profiles
to scam guys out of money.
- What do we make of this?
Okay, so we'’ve got Monique.
She'’s the mask.
- She'’s the mask, but she'’s--
- She'’s the girl
in the pictures.
She is also a trouble maker.
- She'’s a criminal!
Could be her,
and this could be something
that she does to scam people
out of money.
- Sure.
- Then, there'’s this girl
who comes up
with the phone number,
whose name is Nae.
- Right.
- We don'’t know
anything about her.
But right now,
none of these are looking good.
- He'’s not talking to the girl
he thinks he'’s talking to,
and that is a bad sign.
[dramatic music]
- The real bummer here
is that it looks like
this girl'’s a catfish.
- Yeah.
Luis chose poorly.
So we got to drop a bomb
on this guy.
- Well, and the scary thing
is that he almost let her in
to his house.
- Into his house, yeah.
- Like, how scary if
she had showed up.
- What else was she lying about?
- Okay.
[knocking]
- Hey, what'’s up?
both: Hey.
- How you guys doing?
- There he is.
What'’s up, buddy?
Why don'’t we go inside?
We got some stuff to talk about.
All right.
So, you a little nervous?
- Little bit, yeah.
- I can see you shaking
a little.
It'’s funny--
if you sit back
and I ask you who'’s nervous,
the wall pretty much
says it all.
This guy.
This guy.
So this morning,
we did some research.
The first thing we did was
we searched the phone number.
It came up with Tom [bleep].
That doesn'’t seem
to help us much.
So then the next thing we did--
we searched the number again
on a different website.
- And we got this name.
- Nae.
Maybe her last name is [bleep],
and her first name
is actually Nae.
- Now, we were thinking
about Nae.
Is that for Desti-nae
or--
- Syd-nae?
- Syd-nae.
both: Could be.
- It'’s a stretch.
So we tried to figure out
a little bit more
with the new number.
So we searched it
on this cool website.
- Does, like,
a deep web search.
- And it also comes up.
Caller name, Nae [bleep].
So there'’s definitely something
going on here with that name.
Let'’s go back to Sydney'’s page
and see what we can find there.
So we scrolled through,
and the first thing we did
was we did an image search.
And sure enough,
there'’s a profile.
And the name on the account
isn'’t Sydney.
It'’s Monique.
Does that ring any bells?
- No.
- So now all of a sudden
we'’re thinking, like,
"Oh, boy.
"Maybe the real girl
in the pictures
is this girl, Monique."
Now, this is where it starts
to get really crazy.
We looked up this girl, Monique,
and we found a bunch
of articles.
The first article
we found was this.
"Monique was charged
with second-degree forgery,
"interfering
with a police officer,
and conspiracy to commit
fourth-degree larceny."
So this girl has been getting
in a lot of trouble.
- Yeah.
- And stealing.
It wouldn'’t be totally crazy
to think that this girl,
who'’s a little bit of a--
got a criminal mind,
might not have started
her own fake Facebook page,
using her own pictures,
to scam sweet guys
like yourself to get money.
- Yeah.
- And could Monique,
if it is who you'’re talking to,
be Nae [bleep]?
- Could be.
You'’re not talking to the person
that you think you are.
- It'’s not her.
I mean, this is [bleep] up.
- Yeah. I think we should
call her, together.
We'’d like to give her an
opportunity to explain herself
and see if I can get her
to agree to meet up with us.
- Yeah.
- All right,
well, here goes nothing.
[dramatic electronic music]
[phone line trilling]
♪
- Please leave your message
after the tone.
[phone beeps]
- Hello, Sydney.
This is Nev,
and I'’m calling from
the TV show, "Catfish."
And we'’d love to ask you
a few questions.
Give me a call back
at this number.
Thanks.
All right.
So, look.
The reality of the situation now
is that whoever
you'’ve been talking to,
they'’ve been lying to you.
You know, we'’ve got
to figure out, obviously,
who you'’re talking to,
but you also now need
to start thinking about
whether to continue possibly
pursuing a relationship
with this girl.
Hopefully we'’ll get a response.
As soon as we do, we'’ll
figure out what to do next.
- All right.
- All right.
So sit tight.
- All right, man.
- We'’ll talk to you later.
- All right, thanks.
[dramatic music]
[phone ringtone chiming]
- Okay. Whoa!
- Wow.
- Is that her?
That is her.
- Oh, my God.
Hello?
[dramatic electronic music]
♪
[phone ringtone chiming]
- Okay. Whoa!
- Wow.
- Is that her?
That is her.
- Oh, my God.
Hello?
- Yeah, hi,
is this Sydney?
- Hey, this is Nev.
Do you know who I am?
Have you seen our show?
- Okay, cool.
I was just sitting with Luis.
- And he told us, you know,
just all about
the last few months,
that you guys have been talking
and that he'’s wanted
to meet you.
And so we were trying
to just check in with you
and find out how you feel
about the whole situation.
- I understand the timing
may not be great.
I will say, though, however,
we just did some searching
on the Internet.
We found a profile
of a girl named Monique
who from what we can tell,
is the actual girl
in the pictures
that you'’ve been using
on your page.
- We'’re pretty confident
the girl in the pictures
is Monique and not you.
- Okay, so that is you
in the pictures on your page.
- Luis wants to meet you.
- He'’s holding himself
kind of in limbo pursuing you
and not pursuing
another relationship,
because he'’s, you know,
he'’s worried about you.
He cares about you,
and he'’s interested in you.
- I completely understand.
Think about, maybe, a place
you would like to meet.
We could leave tomorrow morning
and be down there,
you know, tomorrow afternoon.
- Okay.
Bye.
I mean, weird.
- First, I mean,
she kind of very avidly denies
that she'’s using
someone else'’s picture.
- Well, right,
she'’s very confident and calm.
- Yeah.
Maybe--
both: Maybe we'’re wrong.
[dramatic music]
[upbeat rock music]
- All right, here we go.
We should text her to let her
know that we'’re on our way.
♪
So what do you got?
- "This afternoon
we land in Dallas.
I'’m excited to meet you today."
- All right.
- Great.
- Perfect.
- Hit send.
- I hit it.
- ♪ Nothing that is coming
♪ Gonna stand in my way today
- All right.
♪
- ♪ Baby, baby
♪ I can'’t come down ♪
- She said,
"I'’m excited too?"
- Yeah.
- ♪ I am higher now
♪ Some may stop
at the ceiling ♪
♪ I'’m gonna fly away ♪
- So we can go see her now.
- Yeah, let'’s go.
I'’m ready.
- ♪ I can'’t come down ♪
- All right, we made it.
Texas.
So what do you think?
Think she'’ll show up?
- Hoping she will.
If she'’s saying--
she answered the text
and everything, so...
She said, "I'’m by the baseball
field over by the lake."
- Well, that sounds like
a catfish meeting place
if I'’ve ever heard of one.
- Yeah.
Said, "Okay, we are on our way.
I'’m very excited to meet you."
- There you go.
- Yeah.
Let'’s get the truth.
- We'’re only, like, five
minutes away from this park.
It'’s kind of crazy.
- Yeah?
- Yeah.
So we'’ll be there
really soon.
- If it'’s not her, Luis--
it'’s not the girl
in the pictures--
what are you gonna
want to know?
- Why she lied.
♪
- Well, this looks
like the park.
Ooh, here'’s a baseball field.
There'’s a lake.
- There'’s the lake
by the baseball field.
- So this must be it.
- Yep.
[dramatic music]
♪
- How do you feel?
- Nervous.
- Do you think
you'’re ready to do this?
- Yeah.
- All right, then.
♪
Okay, I see someone over there.
- Sitting under a tree.
I see a woman.
I think this is our person.
- That'’s not the girl
from the picture, though, right?
- Not the girl
from the picture.
both: Hi.
- Sydney, I presume.
- Yes.
- I'’m Max.
What'’s your name?
- Nae.
- You'’re Nae.
- Yeah.
- Okay.
- Nae. Hi.
- Hi.
- Nev.
- Are you the person
we'’ve been talking to
and the person Luis
has been talking to?
- Yeah.
- And how did you find
that girl whose pictures
you used?
- You know those things
when they'’re on Facebook
and it'’s like,
"Like if you like McDonald'’s"?
- Yeah?
- I scrolled down
through the likes
and I found her,
and I seen that she lived
really far away from Dallas,
so I just kind of
took her pictures,
blocked her
from the page, and...
- You--you found
her profile randomly,
downloaded her photos,
blocked her, and then
you just made up the rest.
- Yeah.
- When we spoke yesterday,
I asked you--
- Yeah.
- If you were the girl
in the pictures,
'’cause I didn'’t
think you were.
- I didn'’t think--
I really didn'’t think
that I would even show up today.
- Well, we'’re glad
that you did.
- Yeah.
- Okay, so what'’s true
and what'’s not true?
- Um...
- Are you really staying
in a shelter?
♪
- No.
- No?
[cymbal shimmers]
- Okay.
Is your mother in prison?
- No.
♪
- And did your
grandmother die?
- No.
♪
- Wow.
Why would you make
that stuff up?
- I mean,...
it was just--
I don'’t know,
like, at the time--
it'’s just hard
to explain, I guess.
- All right.
Well, we'’re here.
So take--
we'’re--
take a deep breath
and explain.
- Okay.
At a point in time,
I was just really struggling,
I guess.
I just had my baby.
- Okay.
But you do have an infant.
- Yes.
That'’s true.
- Okay.
- And I was like,
"Okay, baby'’s gonna need milk.
"Baby'’s gonna need diapers.
Baby'’s gonna need clothes."
And--and I was just
talking to Luis, like,
to get him
to send me money.
[cymbal shimmering]
- And Luis sent you some money.
- Yeah.
- Okay.
I mean, that'’s messed up.
- What kind of person does that?
- I mean--
- But--
I mean, I understand
you were having a hard time,
but, like, to lie
about who you were
and sort of lead him on--
get Luis to give you money--
what you'’re describing
is a con artist.
- No.
- I mean, I know it doesn'’t
sound like that to you.
- No, I mean,
because I'’m not--
that'’s not who I am.
Like, I basically only did that
because of my situation
at the time.
I was just struggling
really bad, so--
- But you'’re--
but you'’re not homeless.
- No.
- Where do you live?
- With my mom.
- Does your baby
dad live with you?
- No.
- Is he involved at all
with you and them and...
- No.
- No?
But you live with your mom.
- Yes.
- So, for the most part,
your basic needs are met.
- Yeah, because of me,
not nobody else.
- But you work for money?
- No.
- No.
So when you say you'’re
struggling and you need money,
it'’s because your family
doesn'’t have a lot of money
and you need to get things
for you and your daughter?
- Yes.
- What about getting a job?
♪
- What about getting a job?
[dramatic music]
- Okay.
So you came up with that stuff
so that Luis would
send you some money?
- Yeah, as messed up
as it sounds.
- I mean,
it'’s messed up.
I understand
you were struggling,
but it'’s really not something
you'’re supposed to do, you know?
It'’s not--
it'’s not right.
- No, but, I mean,
like, honestly,
it just wasn'’t about money.
I mean, we talked
without me asking for money.
I really did care for you.
- Do you now have feelings
for Luis or no?
- Um...
[cymbal shimmers]
Yeah.
Because, I mean,
when I talked to him,
he was just
a little different than,
you know...
you know, like--
- How was he different?
- '’Cause, I mean,
he'’s just really cool
and laid back,
and, like, I'’m not
really just used to that.
But, I mean, with him it was,
kind of, like, different.
I mean, he takes care
of his kids really good.
I mean, he works.
He'’s a really hard worker.
And at the time, like,
I did really want to try
and stop talking to you.
But, I mean,
it was just really hard
because we were talking
every day
and everything just felt okay--
I, kind of, like,
forgot I was me
for a second.
So when I was talking to Luis,
and he was like,
"Oh, I'’m with my girls.
I'’m doing this. I'’m doing that."
Of course it was like,
okay, well--you know?
- "I'’d like to have
a guy like that."
- Yeah, my point.
I just fell in love with him.
I mean, he'’s great.
I was like,
"Okay, this is somebody
"that I do see myself
wanting to be with."
- Right.
- This is the kind of guy
that I would want to be with.
That'’s why I'’m coming clean now.
'’Cause I do want
to move forward from this.
I mean, like, you'’re something
that I don'’t have right now.
♪
- How do you feel?
- Like a dumbass.
♪
I don'’t know, I probably
shouldn'’t have trusted so much.
- No, it'’s not your fault.
He has every right
to feel however he wants
to feel about this.
I just want him to know
that I still
will be there for him
at the end of the day.
I do still want to be friends.
[melancholy music]
- I don'’t know.
Everything'’s, like,
going crazy in my head.
I don'’t even, like,
have all the words in my mind
to come out right now,
but it just sucks.
It sucks too, you know?
- You seem like you know
what you did was wrong.
- I do.
If I didn'’t feel bad
about what I did,
I would have never showed up.
I truly--
I really feel horrible.
- I think maybe
the best thing to do,
then, is to take
a break for now,
let Luis process this,
and then maybe
we'’ll meet again tomorrow.
- Okay.
- It'’s a lot to take in.
- Yeah, I'’m really sorry.
I really am.
[driving electronic music]
- All right, so we'’ll see you,
hopefully, tomorrow.
We'’ll let you know.
- Okay.
- Good to meet you.
- Bye.
- ♪ More than expression
♪ Believe in me now
♪ Believe an intention
♪ Lend me your faith
♪ Don'’t ask any questions ♪
- All right,
let'’s get the hell out of here.
- I'’m disappointed, you know?
I wasn'’t expecting for her
to be a liar or con artist.
- Well, look,
think about all this,
because you did put
a lot of time into this.
You invited this girl
to come live with you.
But there'’s definitely still
a little bit left to deal with
before this is all finished.
- ♪ You'’re only human ♪
[somber piano music]
♪
- How are you feeling about
the whole experience right now?
- Disappointed.
I came to meet somebody
that'’s not even real.
- Are you, like,
mad at her for it?
- Yeah, I'’m mad at her,
but, like, I'’m a little
more mad at myself,
'’cause I let it get this far.
- I'’m assuming you want
to go see her again
and sit down
and talk some more.
- Yeah, I mean,
just to let her know
that it'’s wrong
and that, like,
she can'’t keep doing this.
She keeps doing this
and she'’s around her daughter,
she'’s gonna be picking up
on the stuff she does.
And you can'’t have children,
you know, raised like that.
- Yeah.
Well, I think,
you know, we'’re here.
We may as well go over
and see what she has to say.
- You ready?
- Yeah.
- Let'’s do it.
- ♪ Memories
♪ Evaporate
♪ It'’s been this way since ♪
- She lied about who she is.
So, like, how is there any way
to believe anything she says?
- Right.
- ♪ Memories I create
♪ It'’s been this way
since I was born ♪
♪ So please leave me alone
- This is it.
All right.
♪
Hey.
- Hey.
- How are you?
- I'’m good, and you?
- Good.
- Hi.
- I don'’t think we covered
everything yesterday.
- Yeah.
- Everyone was a little nervous.
It was a little awkward.
So that'’s why
we'’re here today.
- Yeah.
- To kind of hash things out
a bit more,
say a little bit more.
So...
- Mm-hmm?
Do you want to,
maybe, sort of,
start things off for us here?
- Yesterday was just
a little weird for me
because I felt like,
"I'’m gonna really hurt
his feelings.
"Like, I'’m gonna put--"
you know,
"I'’m gonna see him
and I'’m just not
"gonna be able to speak,
'’cause I'’m thinking
he'’s gonna be, like,
really, really hurt."
To see him just okay,
it was just like, "Well."
I just felt like you
really didn'’t care as much.
[cymbal shimmers]
- Well,
so that'’s interesting.
So you were hurt yesterday--
- Yeah.
- Because you felt
like this friendship--
relationship--
was genuine and real,
and that him not being
that hurt by it actually
surprised
and sort of hurt you.
- Yeah.
- This is sort of a first.
It'’s unusual that someone
in your position,
who had been lying,
and in this case lied
about pretty much everything,
and in fact had actually
taken advantage of someone,
would be surprised
and even a little hurt--
- Yeah.
- That Luis wasn'’t more upset.
- I mean, we did have
a connection.
I really do have a caring heart,
and I never meant
to hurt anybody.
- Well, I don'’t--
I don'’t know.
I don'’t know
what to believe anymore.
- Yeah.
- The issue here is, like,
as a result
of your circumstances,
which are unfortunate,
you did develop
a very good skill
of sort of
"playing the victim."
- Which you could be doing
right now with us.
- Right.
- Here'’s my problem.
We heard you guys
talk the other day.
We heard you say at the pool
that you were there,
and you got to go back
to the shelter,
and you were very convincing.
- Even when I called you
before we came down here,
knowing that you were not
the girl in the pictures,
you very convincingly
lied to me,
so much so that I actually
second-guessed it.
- Anything I say,
you guys won'’t believe me.
So basically it'’s like,
whatever I say--
- Well, that'’s part
of the problem.
- Let'’s just roll with it,
'’cause I mean,
even if I am being
completely honest,
you guys are still gonna
question everything I say.
- That'’s the problem
with scamming and lying.
- What'’s the truth?
Why are we really here?
Why did this go on so long?
- Okay, you know what?
Now it'’s to the point to where,
like you guys said,
you'’re not gonna believe me
and what I say anyway.
So I might as well
just say how I truly feel.
This means nothing to me.
I guess you could say
I'’m cold hearted
'’cause I'’m not thinking
of his feelings.
At the end of the day,
from a mother'’s point of view,
no matter what anybody
thinks of me,
if my kids need something,
I can'’t get it at the time,
I'’m gonna do whatever I can do
to provide for my kids.
That'’s a mother'’s nature,
period.
- Great excuse.
- So, I mean--
no, it'’s not an excuse.
- It is an excuse.
- I mean,
I'’ve been through a lot, too,
and I don'’t like
to make excuses.
I just--
I do it on my own.
- You'’ve conned everyone.
[dramatic piano music]
How do you feel, Luis?
- Well, I mean, I thought
she was a great person.
I thought she was trusting
and--and really caring.
But it'’s really just fake.
- So you didn'’t have
very strong,
if any, feelings for him?
- Like, at the end
of the day, yes,
a scam artist is a scam artist.
Whatever you want to call me.
But I mean,
when you are talking
to somebody every day,
they don'’t know that.
So they'’re still telling you
how they'’re feeling,
what'’s going on with them.
You know.
- Right.
- So at a point in time,
it gets to where
you are caring for them
in some kind of way.
Because I did talk to you
about everything,
and you talked to me
about everything,
and I felt like we kind
of needed each other
to get through the stuff
that we were going through
at the time.
You really don'’t have
to believe anything,
but I mean, that is the one
true thing from all of this.
♪
- Your coming clean now is not
the definitive end to this.
It'’s totally determined
by what you do after this.
- I mean, '’cause we'’re
gonna leave.
Life goes on.
I'’m gonna go back
to work tomorrow,
and who knows if you'’re
gonna change or not.
But it'’s better for you,
for your conscience,
and for your kid,
to just do the right things
instead of making up
fake pages and stuff.
- Yeah.
At the end of the day,
I don'’t want to keep doing this.
- Right.
But the problem
is you'’ve created
a version of yourself
that'’s so good
at playing the victim--
- Yeah.
- That you really
need to, like--
- Recalibrate.
- Right, you need
to recalibrate.
It'’s important
that you start really,
like, speaking the truth.
- Okay.
I did learn my lesson.
It'’s not right.
I know that
I'’m never gonna do this again.
- This version of Nae
feels a lot more genuine.
No one wants anyone to struggle.
Ask for help.
Listen to me.
- Yeah.
- I hope you can
change your ways
and be there for your daughter.
Just keep your head up.
- Yeah, and I'’m really
sorry about everything.
- I hope you really
are sorry, though.
- No, I am.
- I mean, really.
I don'’t got nothing to say.
Just good luck.
- I think we'’ve left things
on good terms.
Nae, good to meet you.
- Yeah, nice meeting you.
- Take care, Nae.
- Take care.
- Yeah.
You too.
♪
- ♪ Oh, love,
how you break me up ♪
♪ You have sunk me to a wreck
♪ Now I ask you
set my heart free ♪
♪ I don'’t want
to hear your call ♪
- So what'’s next for Luis?
- To be with my daughters
and give more time
to them, you know?
- What about love?
- I'’ll keep it on hold for--
I got to find myself first,
you know?
- You'’re a good guy, Luis.
- I don'’t think you need to do
too much work on you.
I think you just need
to find the right person.
- Yeah.
- Put yourself out there.
- Will do.
♪
- ♪ Don'’t want to hear
your call ♪
- Do you feel like you might be
falling in love with this guy?
- I do.
- Uh-oh.
- Oh, look at that.
- This is a married guy.
- What?
- This has happened
more than 60 times, now.
- This is our guy.
- You just have to wonder
what was going
through his mind.
- Who is this person?
- We'’re about to find out.
- I see him.
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