‘Merciless’ catfisher Lydia Abdelmalek caught Home And Away star in net, court told
A catfisher allegedly netted victims using the identity of an Aussie heart-throb in a disturbing campaign that led to tragedy, a court heard.
A sinister catfish lured women into an online romance with an Aussie heart-throb in a years-long plot that had devastating consequences, a court has heard.
Details of the allegations were aired during a 70-day hearing in the County Court of Victoria after the Melbourne woman accused of the shocking scheme appealed her conviction and sentence.
Lydia Abdelmalek was found guilty of six counts of stalking and sentenced to two years and eight months behind bars in June 2019.
She allegedly used a “cast of characters” including the identity of Home And Away star Lincoln Lewis to torment victims for years.
The real actor and son of NRL legend Wally Lewis took to the stand to explain how a distressing call from a woman alerted him to the alleged bizarre scheme.
“Have you and I been dating for the last couple of months?” she asked him.
“No – what are you talking about,” the shocked actor responded.
He told the court it was a “scary” situation and he wasn’t equipped to deal with it.
The woman would later go on to take her life.
During the hearing, the celebrity was asked to identify dozens of images including one supposedly of his licence.
“It’s obviously my face, but that’s not a face I’ve ever had on any driver’s licence. What should be a signature is actually my autograph,” he told Crown Prosecutor Angela Moran.
He also told the court he’d never held a licence that only lasted a year.
Another alleged victim became entangled in the scheme after sending a friend request to someone she believed was the actor, after meeting the real star on a flight.
But she told the court she realised she had shared intimate images with a stranger.
When Ms Abdelmalek took to the stand to defend herself, she denied she was behind the plot.
The bespectacled 32-year-old – with her dark hair tied in a ponytail – spent five days on the stand.
She is accused of using the identity of Mr Lewis, and the persona of a female DJ and British actor Danny Mac to stalk people.
“You are the catfisher who created the deception around these people where they couldn’t live their lives anymore,” Ms Moran pressed.
“No,” Ms Abdelmalek replied.
She was grilled about why she allegedly transferred $200 into one of the alleged victim’s bank account.
This was at the behest of the Lincoln Lewis “persona” after she offered to pay for acting help, Ms Abdelmalek explained.
“He didn’t want the money, but there was somebody that he knew that was a single mum that was struggling and to put the money in that account,” she said.
But there’s no longer a record of the conversation, she told the court.
Ms Abdelmalek also explained why she had photos of an alleged victim on her iPad.
“So when I found out that the Lincoln Lewis I was talking to was fake I did look her up on Facebook and those are the photos on my iPad. I don’t dispute that,” she said.
However, police allege she created the “false world” in order to entrap victims.
Ms Abdelmalek allegedly “mercilessly exploited” victims when she received intimate images and shared one, labelling the woman pictured a “d----o sucking sl-t”.
When confronted about evidence found on iPhones, a laptop and an iPad, Ms Abdelmalek said there had been activity on them she had no control over including mysterious logins.
Ms Abdelmalek will find out her fate later this month and remains on bail.