Digital Danger Diaries
Real life stories of online harms.
Match Group, the owner of Tinder and Hinge, the same Match Group that has Canadian celebrity Ryan Reynolds sit on its board, knew about reports of sexual assault happening on its platforms. Match Group did nothing about it and from 2019 to 2023, Cardiologist Stephen Matthews sexually assaulted more than 10 women he met on Match Group platforms. Watch the video for more.
In the quiet suburbs of Adelaide, Australia, 15-year-old Carly Ryan found solace in the digital world. She connected with “Brandon,” an 18-year-old musician from Melbourne. The man behind “Brandon” was a 50-year-old predator, exploiting the anonymity of the internet. Garry Francis Newman, a 50-year-old man who had been using the fictitious Kane persona, travelled from Melbourne posing as “Shane”, Kane’s father, in order to give Ryan presents from Kane. Later, Ryan left the house for an apparent sleepover with friends, but after not returning the next day, the police were notified. The same morning, Ryan’s battered and dishevelled body was found floating face-down in the shallow water, and attempts to revive her failed. Garry Francis Newman was convicted and sentenced to a minimum of 29 years in jail for the murder of Ryan.
In total, John sent money to a ‘woman’ whom he expected at the airport. He depleted his life savings for this woman he thought loved him, whom he met on a dating app. John’s son found her pictures belonged to someone else. John didn’t want to hear it and ignored the warning signs for love. While waiting for hours for the woman who didn’t show, he noticed her profiles had disappeared and she vanished. She was never a SHE to begin with and the scammers behind the woman’s pictures made off with more than £35,000 of John’s money.
The Stalker in the Gaming Community tells the harrowing true story of 14-year-old Breck Bednar, a bright teenager who was groomed and ultimately murdered by 18-year-old Lewis Daynes—a predator he met through an online gaming platform. As their friendship deepened, Daynes used manipulation and isolation tactics to separate Breck from his loved ones. Despite warnings from his parents, Breck went to meet Daynes in person, a decision that tragically ended in his death. The story is a chilling reminder of how predators can exploit digital anonymity to target and harm vulnerable youth, underscoring the urgent need for vigilance and education in online safety.
Fake Job Offer follows the devastating experience of Nicholas, a Toronto man who falls victim to an elaborate online employment scam during a desperate job search. After receiving what appears to be a perfect offer from a professional-looking company, Nicholas eagerly signs a contract, shares his personal information, and pays onboarding fees—only to realize too late that the job, the recruiter, and the company were all fake. The story highlights the increasing sophistication of job scams, especially in the remote work era, and serves as a stark warning about how easily hope can be exploited. It’s a cautionary tale about the need for vigilance in a digital job market filled with predators.
Deepfake Nightmare tells the terrifying story of Sarah, a college student whose life is shattered when she wakes to find an explicit deepfake video of herself circulating online. Though the footage is fake, it looks real—so real that friends, strangers, and even her boss believe it’s her. As Sarah scrambles to prove her innocence, she discovers the video was created by a rejected classmate using just a few public photos from her social media. Despite the devastating consequences—being fired, harassed, and humiliated—Sarah finds no legal recourse, as existing laws fail to address deepfake abuse. Her story exposes the chilling reality of AI-generated identity theft and warns that in the age of deepfakes, anyone’s face can be weaponized.
The Heiress Hoax follows the dramatic real-life story of Anna Sorokin, who reinvented herself as “Anna Delvey,” a wealthy German heiress, to infiltrate New York’s elite social circles. Through charm and elaborate lies, she funded a lavish lifestyle—designer shopping sprees, private jets, and luxury hotels—without a penny to her name. Her deception unraveled after a lavish trip to Morocco left a friend $62,000 in debt and a trail of unpaid bills exposed the truth: Anna was a Russian immigrant with no trust fund at all. Convicted of grand larceny and theft in 2019, her tale became a media sensation and a stark warning about the seductive power of status and illusion in the digital age.
The AI Voice Scam recounts the chilling true story of Anthony, a father who was tricked into handing over $25,000 after receiving a phone call from someone using AI to perfectly mimic his son’s voice. Believing his child had been in a terrible accident and needed bail money, Anthony followed the scammer’s instructions without hesitation—only to discover later that his son was safe and the entire call had been a deception. The story underscores the growing threat of AI voice cloning technology, which exploits human emotion and trust, and serves as a powerful warning to always verify unexpected calls—especially those involving urgency or money.
