‘Like, Follow, Trafficked: Insta’s Fake Guru’ Review

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It seems all it takes is a million followers for the words of ‘influencers’ to be considered gospel by some. The BBC Eye documentary Like, Follow, Trafficked: Insta’s Fake Guru investigates how former Brazilian model Kat Torres used her ‘rags to riches’ story to rebrand herself as a ‘life coach,’ exploiting young, gullible women and forcing them into sex work.

The BBC documentary, directed by Jack Garland, features interviews with multiple people associated with Kat Torres, including victims, former clients, friends, and even an ex-husband. Torres was convicted in June 2024 and sentenced to eight years in prison on charges of human trafficking. She came under the FBI’s radar due to the disappearance of two Brazilian women, whose families alleged they were coerced into living with Kat in America.

Running for about 56 minutes, the documentary quickly takes viewers through Kat’s rise to popularity, her modeling career, and her association with rich and famous people, including Hollywood star Leonardo DiCaprio. Her curated profile led young women like Ana, one of Kat’s victims, to believe she was a self-made success story who overcame poverty, childhood abuse, and violence to become a celebrity. Through her services as a ‘life coach,’ Kat promised to transform her clients’ lives. However, interviews with Kat’s friends reveal that much of what she said were half-truths or outright lies. Kat would target the most vulnerable of her clients, convince them into flying to the U.S to work for her, win their trust, and then force them into prostitution.

A still from the BBC Documentary

Some viewers may find it hard to sympathize with Kat’s victims, wondering why these women fell for such an obvious fraud. However, it’s important to understand that these victims were already at rock bottom, making them easy prey for vultures. Desperation, superstition, blind belief, and hope led many women into Kat’s trap. One victim mentioned how she feared Kat would perform black magic and curse her if she didn’t comply. “She took these girls and convinced them to do whatever she wanted, just like a cult,” a childhood friend of Kat reveals in her interview.

Like, Follow, Trafficked: Insta’s Fake Guru ends with a compelling conclusion that makes this BBC documentary a must-watch. The BBC Eye team obtained a court order to interview Kat Torres in prison. The documentary concludes with the con-queen herself on camera, candidly talking to the journalists as if she were on a talk show, denying all accusations and charges against her. “I am in a real jail, with real people that committed real crimes. We are talking about people who killed 10 people,” Kat says on camera. As if it’s absurd for her to be there. Despite plenty of evidence against her, Kat claims innocence, her interview serving as an excellent example of how sociopaths’ function.

Watch the documentary on YouTube.

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