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Cimarron Thomas is 12 years鈥痮ld,鈥痜rom West Virginia.鈥疨laying on her tablet one night, she leaves her bedroom, and her sister hears a balloon popping. But it鈥檚 not a balloon.

What do you do when someone you trust turns out to not exist?鈥�

When 鈥楥hloe鈥� starts messaging other teenage girls on social media she is friendly. Fun. Interested. Soon she sends explicit photos, and鈥痑sks鈥痟er new friends鈥痶o鈥痵end some back. That鈥檚 when she changes and the blackmail begins. Because 鈥楥hloe鈥� isn鈥檛 a real girl.鈥疭he鈥檚 a catfish.鈥疉nd鈥痟er鈥痙epraved鈥痙emands have鈥痜atal consequences.鈥�

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This episode features real鈥痮nline messages, read aloud by an AI voice. Find out more about鈥痟ow the 麻豆社 uses AI /aboutthebbc/reports/policies/approach-to-ai/

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