Stranger Things catfish convinces woman to divorce husband and send ‘actor’ thousands of dollars

Woman named McKayla claimed she sent gift cards and cryptocurrency worth thousands to someone posing as actor Dacre Montgomery

A woman reportedly divorced her husband and sent thousands of dollars to a stranger she met online, after they posed as a star from her favourite show, Netflix’s Stranger Things.

Appearing in the YouTube show Catfished, the woman named McKayla claimed she sent $10,000 worth of gift cards to the scammer claiming to be Australian actor Dacre Montgomery.

The Kentucky-based mother said she was in a “toxic” relationship with her then-husband when she joined an online artist forum for film enthusiasts.

“I’m incredibly excited to connect with fellow filmmakers who share the same passion for the art of filmmaking,” she wrote. “I’m currently seeking creative collaboration opportunities, and I believe that together, we can create something truly remarkable.”

Later, McKayla received a message from a user named “DK MH” who claimed to be Montgomery, who plays the fan-favourite character Billy Hargrove in Netflix’s hit adventure series, Stranger Things.

“Me and him just really hit it off, but of course, I’m suspicious from the get-go until he starts doing things that make me believe that he is who he is,” McKayla told showrunners.

The person posing as Montgomery allegedly claimed he was having trouble with his girlfriend, model Liv Pollock.

“That’s one thing we actually bonded over, and basically through the relationship he was venting to me after a few months about his partner saying she’s very controlling of him, he doesn’t get to do the things he wants to do, she’s always there, (she’s) always got to supervise,” McKayla said.

“I kind of empathised with that because my ex-husband was that way.”

Dacre Montgomery as Billy Hargrove in Netflix's third series of 'Stranger Things' (Courtesy of Netflix)

At one point, the scammer reportedly asked McKayla to choose between him and her husband, shortly after which she told her husband she wanted him to leave the family home.

They then proceeded to ask her for money in the form of cash, gift cards and cryptocurrency.

The show’s producers said they found that “DK MH” was a “romance scammer”, someone who creates fake profiles on dating sites, apps and social media in order to trick their victim into believing they are in a relationship.

They then manipulate them into sending money and gifts, or persuading them to do things outside of their typical behaviour.

”If you’re someone like me, you’re afraid of abandonment and you’re a real big people pleaser, and these scammers, they just kind of come in and they leech off that,” McKayla said.