People still talk about it. The name Simran Bhogal usually pops up in true crime subreddits or group chats where someone’s just finished watching the Netflix documentary Sweet Bobby. But there is this one specific detail—a "Barclays press release"—that keeps floating around the internet like a ghost.
Honestly? It's kinda weird. If you go searching for an official "Barclays Simran Bhogal press release" to see what the bank said about her being the world's most notorious catfish, you won't find one. Not a real one, anyway.
The truth is much messier than a standard corporate statement.
Why Everyone Thinks There’s a Simran Bhogal Barclays Press Release
The confusion basically stems from a real-world promotion that happened right as the "Sweet Bobby" web was starting to unravel. Back in 2018, Simran Bhogal was a rising star in the London finance world. She wasn't just some low-level staffer; she was actually an Associate Vice President (AVP) and was eventually promoted to Vice President, COO & Finance Business Partner at Barclays.
When she got that promotion, recruitment platforms like Talent Ticker and various LinkedIn-style automated news feeds picked it up. These "news snippets" look a lot like press releases to the average person Googling at 2 a.m.
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So, while Barclays didn't put out a formal PR statement about her "career as a catfish," there was a digital trail of her corporate success. It’s that contrast that makes your skin crawl. While she was supposedly managing high-level banking operations and being a "rising star" at a global bank, she was simultaneously maintaining a network of over 50 fake identities to manipulate her cousin, Kirat Assi.
The Bank's Actual Reaction (Or Lack Thereof)
Barclays is a massive, centuries-old institution. They aren't exactly known for being "chatty" about the personal lives or criminal allegations of their employees unless they have to be.
When the Sweet Bobby podcast by Tortoise Media blew up in 2021, and later the Netflix film in 2024, the "Barclays connection" became a massive talking point. People wanted to know: how did she have the time? How could someone trusted with "Vice President" responsibilities be so... well, deeply deceptive?
Here is what we actually know about her exit:
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- She wasn't fired for catfishing. Because the catfishing wasn't technically a crime in the UK at the time, and it was a "private family matter," the bank didn't have immediate legal grounds to fire her based on the civil dispute alone.
- She walked away. Reports (and the podcast itself) indicate that Simran Bhogal left Barclays of her own accord. Most people assume she resigned once the story became public knowledge within her social and professional circles.
- The "Silent" Corporate Approach. Barclays never issued a statement saying "We do not condone catfishing." They did what most big banks do when a scandal hits: they stayed quiet, let the employee resign, and wiped the digital slate clean.
The 2026 Perspective: Where Is She Now?
It’s been years since the world first heard about the decade-long deception of Kirat Assi. If you’re looking for a "Simran Bhogal 2026 update," the reality is pretty boring, which is probably exactly how she wants it.
After the civil case—where she had to pay "substantial damages" and write a formal apology to Kirat—Simran basically went underground. She deleted her social media. She stopped appearing in industry news. Some internet sleuths on Reddit claim she’s tried to start fresh in different industries, like fashion or consulting, but nothing has been confirmed by a reputable source.
The legal system in the UK still doesn't have a specific "catfishing law," though this case is often cited by activists pushing for change in how digital harassment is handled.
What Most People Get Wrong About the Case
You’ve probably seen the comments. "How could Kirat be so gullible?" or "The bank must have known."
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Actually, the sophistication of the scam was terrifying. Simran didn't just make up "Bobby." She used the identity of a real person, Bobby Jandu, and then created an entire ecosystem around him. She was the "supportive cousin" Kirat would cry to about Bobby, while Simran was literally the one typing the messages as Bobby.
From a business perspective, the fact that she maintained this for ten years while climbing the ranks at Barclays is a case study in compartmentalization. It’s not just a "love story gone wrong"—it was a high-level psychological operation.
Actionable Insights for the Digital Age
If there’s anything to take away from the Simran Bhogal saga and the "missing" press release, it’s about digital literacy and corporate vetting.
- Don't trust "automated" news. Just because a site says "Barclays Promotes X" doesn't mean the person is a saint. Those are often just data-scraped headlines.
- Verify the "Official" Source. If you can't find a press release on the actual Barclays.com media page, it likely doesn't exist.
- The Civil vs. Criminal Gap. Understand that in many countries, being a "bad person" or a liar isn't a crime. Kirat had to fight a civil battle for "misuse of private information" because the police literally told her they couldn't help.
- Protect Your Data. Even if it’s family, be careful about how much of your private life you share with people who seem to have "insider info" on your relationships.
The Simran Bhogal story remains one of the most haunting examples of how the digital world can be weaponized. While you won't find a Barclays press release condemning her, the court documents and the settlement she was forced to pay speak louder than any corporate PR ever could.