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The new Netflix true crime documentary, Sweet Bobby: My Catfish Nightmare, based on a highly successful podcast of the same name, has become an instant hit on the streaming platform.
However, many viewers have been making a plea to others after watching the film.
The documentary introduces us to Kirat Assi, who was the victim of an elaborate catfishing scam carried out on Facebook, between 2009 and 2018.
The fraud involved up to 60 characters, each with their own fake profiles, who only existed in the scammer’s twisted imagination. At the centre of them all was Bobby Jandu, a handsome cardiologist from Kirat’s west London Sikh community. Bobby was a real person, but he wasn’t really the one talking to Kirat; it was her cousin, Simran Bhogal.
Such was the extent of the scam that Kirat believed she was engaged to Jandu despite having never met him. The sheer audacity, detail and scale of the ruse is what is most shocking about Sweet Bobby, with the 2021 podcast reportedly having more than one million listeners globally.
In her review, The Independent’s Kate Rosseinsky wrote: “This is a solid, sensitively made introduction to a jaw-dropping tale. But for the most part, it serves as a feature-length trailer for a much more comprehensive – and much more compelling – podcast.”
For those that hadn’t listened to or had any previous awareness of the podcast, watching Sweet Bobby for the first time on Netflix was an eye opening experience, leaving many stunned at how Bhodal got away with the scheme for so long.
One viewer wrote: “I’m watching this new documentary on Netflix called Sweet Bobby. It’s just one face palm moment after another.”
Another said: “You’re telling me NOBODY noticed the duplicate Facebook profiles using the actual names (and recent pics!) of the real people? Nobody looked up Bobby or Sanj over the course of nearly 10 years and were like, ‘Hey, by the way, is this also you?’”
A third person was left shaken by the experience, writing: “Sweet Bobby needs a trigger warning at the beginning and a helpline to call at the end cause wtaf??? I came expecting to laugh a bit at another tinder swindler and ended up watching this girl fall apart as her cousin ruined her life for kicks.”
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Although the complexity of the case is explored in the film, those who had listened to the podcast told others to seek that out instead.
One viewer encouraged others to go listen to the podcast adding: “The film isn’t doing this situation justice. I’d actually recommend people listen to the podcast. It goes into a lot more depth and really highlights the lengths Bobby went to #SweetBobby.”
Another viewer said: “GUYS THE PODCAST IS EVEN CRAZIER! What we saw on Netflix isn’t even the half of it.”
One unimpressed viewer wrote: “Sweet Bobby on Netflix sucked so bad I’m sorry you guys gotta listen to the podcast instead, it goes into so much detail about how manipulative and thought out the deception was I actually felt so bad for Kirat. Whereas in the Netflix doc I think she is a stupid woman.”
Sweet Bobby: My Catfish Nightmare is available to watch now on Netflix.
The Cyber Helpline has a dedicated page relating to catfishing or digital romance fraud. If you think you might be at risk, there are tips for recognising a scam and also suggestions for how to deal with it.
If you have been a victim of catfishing and need emotional support, then you can call the Samaritans. Their free phone line is available 24 hours a day. You can also call Victim Support or Victim Support Scotland.
