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Stalked
Stalked

7. Social Proof

March 18, 2025 • 36m

Summary

⏱️ 6 min read

Overview

This episode of 'Stalked' follows Hannah and the BBC team as they investigate her stalker Kin's connections in London's exclusive social circles. Through interviews with doormen, club owners, and contacts from the fashion world, they uncover evidence that Kin may have created an elaborate persona by leveraging access to wealthy individuals' properties and events. The investigation reveals that Kin doesn't own the luxury properties he claimed, and may have been working as a facilitator or assistant to ultra-wealthy clients, using their resources to appear affluent himself. A major breakthrough comes when they discover Kin was involved in a £16.5 million property transaction, flipping a building to businessman Raymond for a potential £2 million profit.

Searching for Kin in London's Exclusive Venues

Hannah and the BBC team begin canvassing London's Mayfair district, where Kin was known to frequent exclusive clubs and venues. They discover that plainclothed police had previously searched for him with a 'wanted' poster in 2019, though he wasn't apprehended. Multiple contacts report that Kin disappeared around that time but has been spotted back in London occasionally since then, though he's kept a much lower profile.

  • Hannah learned that plainclothed police came looking for Kin with a wanted poster in 2019
  • A contact reported Kin spent considerable time in the area before COVID, disappeared, then returned occasionally after the police warrant
  • At London Fashion Week, a security guard confirmed knowing Kin and helping him get into shows and designer showrooms
  • The security guard said Kin disappeared about five years ago, changed his number, and he hasn't seen him since
" The police came looking for him. Three guys, sort of FBI style, not in uniform, with a printout of Kyn. And it said, wanted. "
" He said pretty women. "

The Art of Social Proof and Infiltrating Fashion

The team explores how Kin used social engineering techniques to gain credibility in London's fashion world. By associating himself with established figures and leveraging perceived connections, he created an illusion of legitimacy. Fashion insiders and experts explain how easily the industry can be infiltrated through such tactics, with one of Hannah's friends revealing that Kin had overstated their relationship to gain Hannah's trust.

  • Fashion is particularly easy to infiltrate by faking credentials and connections
  • Kin used 'social proof' - appearing with established figures to gain credibility
  • A friend Hannah thought Kin was close to revealed they didn't actually know him well at all
  • Jenny Radcliffe explains this is a classic sales technique - claiming connection to someone's colleague to gain trust
" It is so easy to fake your way into fashion and that's part of the fun of it. It's like, you know, how do we get in? How do we break through? "
" I consider myself a fairly shrewd person, but I was completely taken in by him and his charm. "

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