Tegan and Sara Haunted by an Impersonator for Over a Decade
Tegan and Sara playing a show in Hamburg, Germany, 2008. Public domain.
Known for their infectious indie pop and strong LGBTQ+ following, twin sisters Tegan and Sara have built a devoted fan base over two decades. But while their music brought fans together, a dark deception tore them apart. For 16 years, an impersonator calling herself "Fake Tegan" infiltrated their community, scamming fans and exposing the dangers of online trust in the most personal way.
A Catfish Nightmare Begins
In 2008, indie pop duo Tegan and Sara were reaching new heights with their breakout album "The Con." They'd built a tight-knit community of fans online, chatting with them on platforms like LiveJournal and sharing personal stories. But as they opened up to fans, an anonymous figure slipped into their world, pretending to be Tegan. This impostor, later nicknamed "Fegan" — short for "Fake Tegan" — started by casually messaging fans, but soon her actions took a much darker turn.
Betrayal and Broken Trust
Fegan's catfishing escalated from innocent chats to deep, calculated deception. Fans who thought they were building a real friendship with the real Tegan were fed lies and manipulated into sharing personal details.
According to TIME, a longtime fan by the name of Julie fell victim to Fegan's schemes. Over the course of three years, she believed she had become close to Tegan, even receiving private information from Fegan — including photos of Tegan and Sara's passports. But when she finally learned the truth, that Tegan had never heard of her, Julie's world crumbled.
Tegan Quin, 2007. Photo courtesy of Tegan and Sara Quin. Public domain.
But Fegan didn't stop at fooling fans. She targeted Tegan and Sara's inner circle, wreaking havoc among their real-life relationships. According to TIME, one of her victims, a musician named JT, knew Tegan in real life and had real email exchanges with her. After Fegan hacked Tegan's email, JT unwittingly resumed communication with the impostor. JT's interactions with the scammer turned inappropriate, and when she refused to believe she hadn't been speaking with the real Tegan, it drove her away from the music community she once loved.
Hitting Close to Home in Pop Culture
The shocking story is now the subject of "Fanatical: The Catfishing of Tegan and Sara," a new Hulu® documentary that dives deep into the twisted saga. Directed by Erin Lee Carr, the film doesn't just expose Fegan's scheme — it highlights a growing issue in celebrity culture. In recent years, artists like Mitski, Chappell Roan, and MUNA have spoken out about the intense invasions of privacy they endure from obsessive fans, with stories of cyberstalking, harassment, and even threats to family members. "Fanatical" shines a light on the high cost of fame in the digital era, where parasocial relationships can blur the line between admiration and obsession, leaving artists struggling to protect both their privacy and their genuine connections with fans.
A Mystery That Won't Go Away
Despite years of investigation, Fegan remains a ghost. Cybersecurity experts, cease-and-desist letters, and private detectives — nothing has unmasked this elusive stalker. With each dead end, Tegan and Sara are reminded of the unsettling reality: in the age of social media, no one is truly safe from deception. Fegan's shadow looms over them, a chilling reminder of how easily online trust can be shattered.
The mystery of "Fake Tegan" is far from over, with no clear answers on who was behind the cruel hoax. For Tegan, Sara, and their fans, the trauma of those 16 years serves as a chilling reminder: not everyone behind a screen is who they claim to be. Will the truth ever come out?
References: Tegan and Sara's Catfishing Doc Will Make You Want to Sign Off for Good | Fanatical: The Catfishing of Tegan and Sara Is a Timely Study of Stan and Scam Culture
