Episode 1: Sliding Doors
Kirat is a successful marketer and local radio presenter. Online, she’s contacted by a man she vaguely knows called Bobby, and they start chatting. Slowly, they become close… and she’s reeled in to a scam of epic proportions
A multi-part podcast series
Sweet Bobby
How well do you know
the person you love?
Episodes
Sweet Bobby is a live, multi-part investigation in search of one of the world’s most sophisticated catfishers. It’s a story about who we are online, and how social media can be weaponised as a tool of abuse and coercion.
Episode 2: Witness protection
Bobby finds his way back into Kirat’s life, and their relationship grows closer – with devastating consequences. Meanwhile, Alexi investigates the sophistication of the catfishing scam
Episode 3: Confession
Bobby keeps slipping through Kirat’s grasp and she’s pushed to breaking point. Finally she makes a big decision – and discovers the truth
Episode 4: Dark triads
In this episode, Kirat deals with the fallout from the confession. Alexi’s investigation reveals the startling true beginnings of the scam, as he tries to work out why this this happened
Episode 5: (In)justice
After the confession, Kirat goes to the police. But their reaction to her case isn’t what she’s expecting. Plus: Alexi tries a new approach with the catfisher
Episode 6: Motive
In the final episode of Sweet Bobby, Kirat’s case against the catfisher takes an unexpected turn. As Alexi is putting the finishing touches to the series, he gets a phone call that changes everything
Bonus episode: Questions and answers
Since the series finished, so many listeners have written to Alexi and Kirat with burning questions. In this bonus episode, they sit down in the studio and answer them. What did the Skype voice sound like? Did the catfisher have burner phones? How did the WhatsApp group work?
Read more
Sweet Bobby: Inside the scam
Go behind the scenes and take a closer look at the complex world the catfisher used to trick Kirat
Sweet Bobby resources
How to get in touch if you have a story, and where to look if you have been affected by the Sweet Bobby series
Team
Alexi Mostrous
Reporter and host
Alexi Mostrous is Tortoise’s Investigations Editor. Previously, he was Head of Investigations at the Times newspaper. He has been awarded three National Press Awards.
Gary Marshall
Producer
Gary is a producer at Tortoise. He joined from the Guardian, where he worked in video and audio.
Claudia Williams
Assistant producer and reporter
Claudia is a reporter at Tortoise. Previously, she worked at the New York Times and the Week magazine.
Karla Patella
Sound designer
Karla Patella is a sound designer who has worked on award winning podcasts for the Times, Economist, BBC, Google Ventures and Tortoise Media.
Basia Cummings
Executive producer
Basia is the editor of Tortoise Studios, with Ceri Thomas. Previously, she was the news editor at HuffPost and a foreign editor at the Guardian.