When Amanda first met her new coworker, Claire, she thought they were just becoming fast friends. They had similar tastes—both loved oat milk lattes, indie bookstores, and hiking trails outside the city. But when Amanda noticed Claire wearing her exact outfit (a vintage Levi’s jacket and mustard-yellow scarf she’d thrifted), she laughed it off as a coincidence.
Then the red flags started piling up:
Claire suddenly switched her Instagram handle to @AmandaReyes_ (Amanda’s full name)
She began posting Amanda’s vacation photos—but with herself edited into them
Coworkers mentioned Claire referencing Amanda’s childhood stories as her own
The Stalking Escalates
Amanda’s boyfriend, Mark, was the first to sound the alarm. “She showed up at my gym,” he said. “Knew my workout routine. Called me ‘babe.’” Then came the voicemails: Claire, sobbing, begging Amanda to “stop stealing her life.”
A background check revealed Claire had done this before—to a woman named Sarah in 2018. Police reports showed she’d faked a pregnancy to infiltrate Sarah’s family, even attending their Thanksgiving.
Psychological Warfare
Dr. Elena Torres, a forensic psychologist, explains: “This isn’t just identity theft—it’s ‘identity hijacking.’ The perpetrator doesn’t want your money; they want your essence. They often have borderline personality traits or delusional disorders.”
Amanda installed security cameras. Claire was caught:
Sifting through Amanda’s trash for receipts
Calling Amanda’s mom pretending to be her
Signing up for a yoga class under Amanda’s name
The Bizarre Climax
Claire was finally arrested after showing up at Amanda’s apartment with a suitcase—packed with Amanda’s stolen mail, used makeup, and a printed Zillow listing of Amanda’s childhood home.
Now: A Warning
Amanda’s ordeal inspired a new law in her state criminalizing “non-financial identity theft.” She now teaches workshops on digital privacy, urging people to:
Google themselves monthly
Freeze their credit even if no fraud’s occurred
Avoid oversharing routines (e.g., “My jogging path every morning!”)