Tegan and Sara: catfishing scheme that targeted fans turned into documentary
A catfishing scheme that targeted Tegan and Sara fans will be the subject of a new Hulu documentary.
Fanatical: The Catfishing of Tegan and Sara will premiere on Hulu on October 18 and tells the story of how the catfishing scheme targeted fans of the Canadian indie duo.
In 2011, Tegan Quin was hacked and her personal files were exposed, which led to her identity being stolen. It was then used in a catfish scheme to defraud the band’s fans. The thief was nicknamed ‘Fegan’ – “fake Tegan” – whose actions were said to have led to a “severe ripple effect of mistrust, anxiety, and self-doubt.” The real Quin kickstarted the making of the documentary, enlisting filmmaker and investigator Erin Lee Carr (of Britney Vs. Spears fame) to find the culprit. Both sisters are also credited as executive producers.
“Tegan and Sara ascended to global fame as one of the most influential queer indie rock bands of their generation,” the documentary’s synopsis noted.
“They worked hard to cultivate an inclusive and passionate fanbase around the world. Listeners were drawn to the duo’s beautifully confessional lyrics, but there was more than just the music. Fans found within the community the only safe space to come out and be queer during a time when few bands would declare allyship, let alone celebrate their own queer identity. But a bad actor took advantage of the community’s trust and comfort.”
A couple of years ago I wrote a story called Fake Tegan. I took it to @jennylsq and @erinleecarr and on October 18th, Fanatical: The Catfishing of Tegan and Sara, a documentary about a terrifying situation our band has been dealing with for 16 years will hit @hulu ! More soon. pic.twitter.com/uNHufpsJCd
— Tegan and Sara (@teganandsara) July 31, 2024
Although an investigation took place at the time of the incident, the film ends up uncovering new victims and potential suspects.
Told through Tegan’s own voice, the voices of deceived fans, a trove of visceral communications between fake Tegan and their victims, and the visual history of the band’s behind-the-scenes archive, this documentary feature is a thriller, a caper, a whodunnit, and an intimate personal journey rolled into one. It cuts to the heart of love and betrayal, fame and fandom, desire and delusion in the 21st century.”
Tegan and Sara’s most recent album ‘Crybaby’ was released in 2022. In a four-star review, NME wrote: “If there’s one criticism you could level at ‘Crybaby’, it’s that its slow-burning nature lacks the immediacy or clear-focused thrills of ‘Heartthrob’ and 2016’s ‘Love You To Death’, or the clever concept behind ‘Still Jealous’. But once ‘Crybaby’ truly clicks into place, it makes for another solid collection from a band ever-resistant to categorisation.”
Earlier this year, the duo lead an open letter decrying anti-trans legislation in Canada, which was signed by 400 artists including Carly Rae Jepsen, Elliot Page, Neil Young and Alanis Morissette. The letter, titled Artists Against Anti-Trans Legislation In Canada, was published on Trans Day of Visiblity.
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Emma Wilkes
NME
