The Puppeteer: How one NZ woman catfished dozens of victims over 20 years

In 2011, NZ Herald journalist David Fisher became aware that a woman had been caught catfishing dozens of teenage boys and young men across New Zealand.

Catfishing is a term used for people who use stolen photos to pretend to be someone else online, usually to form relationships with real people across social media.

Fisher would go on to expose the woman behind the false online accounts as Natalia Burgess. She referred to herself as ‘The Puppeteer’.

Fisher interviewed Burgess on several occasions before she went to jail for charges related to her online activity. He thought she would have learnt her lesson, but two years ago he received an email from a woman who had had her photos stolen by Burgess, and it was ruining her life.

Fisher explored Burgess’ actions in the true crime podcast, Chasing Ghosts: The Puppeteer, and he joins us today on The Front Page, to discuss what he learned.

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You can read more about this and other stories in the New Zealand Herald, online at nzherald.co.nz, or tune in to news bulletins across the NZME network.

Host: Chelsea Daniels
Sound Engineer: Paddy Fox
Producer: Ethan Sills

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