Manti Te'o: Inside the Ultimate Love Scam

The Notre Dame football star who says he was a victim of that now infamous online love hoax is coming forward. With the story of deception is so elaborate it sounds like something out of a rogue CIA... See More

The Notre Dame football star who says he was a victim of that now infamous online love hoax is coming forward. With the story of deception is so elaborate it sounds like something out of a rogue CIA operation. In his first on camera interview since the scandal broke -- anti Taylor says his -- girlfriend would talk on the phone with his mom. And text about Bible verses with his dad. And as ABC's David Wright reports this is the kind of deceit that is par for the course in what's known. As catfish and. -- -- Today the college football star. Who says he was the victim of an elaborate Internet dating scam spoke on camera for the first time since news of the hoax explode. Just bureau. I -- us myself to died on -- -- Now I get a phone call on December 6. -- -- is alive and then I'm going to be put on national TV two days later and ask you what the same question. Know what would you do speaking -- -- thought she was dead but says she told him she was alive and was not who -- thought she was. He says the call left him confused and embarrassed -- -- the Heisman Trophy ceremony December 8 two days after he learned the truth. He was still talking about -- make it grew up as though she were real. On their forget. The -- found -- my -- -- passed away in. The first -- -- runs my -- who is my defensive coordinator pushed out -- You stuck to the script and you knew that. Something was amiss man -- -- -- Well. Anybody put yourself in my situation. -- -- -- -- -- my systems -- it's kind of tough to do that it would not only was the love of his life the figment of someone's imagination. But after she suddenly died at the start of last season. -- became the sports writers holy Grail a football hero who plays on despite a tragic loss. She named -- essentially have Davidson we have some he -- such is still there and that -- play. And you know you army through the way you put. This was movie of the week stuff was this intoxicating in a way for you -- time I think. For me the only thing -- basked in is that not could I had -- impact on people that people turn to me and for inspiration now instead of being an inspiration he's a cautionary tale the most infamous example of the Internet phenomenon known as -- fishing. The term -- fishing was adopted to kind of reflect the idea of bringing somebody in the end to establishing a false identity for bringing personal long as as. As as far as. Possible turns out it's more common than you think he settled a perfect things he was really -- started talking about. The future and my job playing with his dogs and things like that. Decided fallen four and Alex Walters of Oceanside California can relate to men tied -- she -- -- man last Thanksgiving on an online dating site. Emails turned into -- turned and a phone calls. He said all the right things he have a job -- -- house everybody wants that fairy tale and being so. Organic grass aren't that different guys telling us how -- we -- and how previewing our sound at. -- it's easy to fall for but while the relationship quickly became serious -- that face to face meeting just never seem to happen we. Scheduled at the ends the day I was getting ready and about an hour before and he. -- -- -- he had the flu. The first of many broken Dayton's the excuses became more and more elaborate -- was T done by a drunk driver and -- having -- near replacement he had blood clot he fell and had to go back to the hospital the story just unravels into a ton of different excuses and life. Walters started getting suspicious so -- Google his cellphone number so this is the last faster -- -- thank you for more information. Personal stories from dozens of women all of them duped by the same guy like -- perfect -- Died he doesn't exist proof he's gone turns out it may not be a guy at all. Those photos he -- daughter of somebody else that's like act I was talking Taylor who apparently had no clue his image was being used as debate. Walters says she now believes her -- fish is a woman who lives in Ohio who's been doing this to people for ten years. I really think the only thing she -- out of it -- hurting people and that may be the biggest mystery why would someone do this to somebody else sometimes for years. It -- -- Taylor's case the alleged perpetrators is this man -- -- -- Tuiasosopo. His alleged accomplice. I don't think anybody -- specifically why somebody would choose to cap if someone that we can only hypothesize. That it has to do with power. And has to do with control. And unless there's a demand for money it's not necessarily a crime. It is very unlikely. Anyone's gonna end up behind bars as a result of this case. Even -- prosecutors. Decided to pursue this impersonation. Crime. Which would be really tough. It's a misdemeanor. Maybe not serious in the eyes of the law but plenty serious -- anti -- Taylor's father told Katie Couric are -- heart broke. I've known and we will news of his life. Then. She's not a -- She's kid a kid who's now reeling what I went -- -- -- In -- feelings the pain and sorrow about dollar lower -- except that it wasn't real and that's the problem. I'm David Wright for Nightline in Los Angeles. Thank you David Wright a fascinating glimpse into living and loving in the digital age of course the poster child for the perils of online romance has now become. An anti tale and as we said Katie Couric sat down with Taylor and his parents. For an exclusive -- think -- is with us now advocating -- sat there with him and -- his parents did you get a sense that -- -- -- -- story. Why do you think that is his. Affection for this young woman was -- real. I think the relationship. Was very real I think that the pain in -- when he was told that she had died was very real -- latest voicemails. And you listen to their conversations and it's a boyfriend and a girlfriend at least from her and we looked at phone records and yes he stayed on the phone with her for hours upon hours. While she was ostensibly in the hospital being treated for leukemia he would keep the phone on at night. And and wake up. You know with the phone at his ear and the Maureen and they would at least it's strange believe me but I think it did happen. So assuming that he's telling the truth -- schemer is here took this to an extraordinary. Bledsoe what are what is -- tag. And -- parents saying. About the alleged steamers -- -- No question these people were master manipulator signing the links Seko. Are really shocking to the point where he -- a -- -- later. In the background when he speaking to this so called girlfriend in the hospital but they -- actually I thought shockingly magnanimous towards this family. It kind of expressed. They're concerned for this 22 year old boy who apparently perpetrated this -- so I was actually very surprised to see that especially given the fact that his family his parents were sucked in as he was case. Thank you and we will all be watching when the full version of that extraordinary exclusive interview airs on Thursday's edition. A vacation.