Home / Crime and Justice / Women Form '007' Squad to Catch Notorious Catfisher
Women Form '007' Squad to Catch Notorious Catfisher
9 Jan
Summary
- Victims formed an online group to expose a persistent catfisher.
- The catfisher used a voice-changing app and fake profiles to deceive.
- Police initially struggled to prosecute the catfishing offenses.
A group of women, victimized over a 15-year period by a notorious catfisher, transformed into online investigators to bring their scammer to justice. The perpetrator, known as 'Dr. David Graham,' used a voice-changing app and meticulously crafted fake social media profiles to build relationships, with some victims falling in love with the persona.
Suspicious of the constant excuses to avoid in-person meetings, the women, including former Miss Scotland finalist Abbie Draper, formed an online group named '007.' They meticulously collected evidence, reverse-image searching to uncover stolen profiles and identifying a web of fake online 'friends' designed to validate the scammer's existence. This painstaking investigation revealed 'Dr. Graham' to be Adele Rennie, a nurse who had previously treated one of the victims' grandfathers.
Despite amassing significant evidence, the victims faced initial disbelief from law enforcement, who struggled to comprehend the nature of the crime. Rennie, who had been jailed multiple times for similar offenses in 2017 and 2019, received a further sentence in 2024. This case, highlighted in a BBC documentary, underscores the sophisticated methods of modern catfishing and the arduous journey victims undertake to achieve justice.
