Unknown Number: The High School Catfish – Complete Plot Breakdown, Characters & Shocking True Twist
- Kimi
- Sep 8, 2025
- 5 min read
Plot of "Unknown Number College Text Message Scam"
The Netflix documentary "Unknown Number: The High School Catfish" is based on a real-life cyberbullying incident in Beal, Michigan. In the story, a 13-year-old teenage couple was subjected to two years of malicious harassment via anonymous text messages, plunging the entire town into suspicion and panic. The shocking revelation that the mastermind behind the harassment was the victim's mother overwhelmed everyone's imagination.
Events
The story begins in Beal, Michigan, in the fall of 2020. Thirteen-year-old Lauryn Licari and her boyfriend, Owen McKenny, had just started dating when they received a group text from an unknown number. The text claimed, "Owen wants to break up with you," and declared, "He wants me." Initially, they dismissed it as a prank. However, starting on September 13, 2021, the anonymous texts returned with even greater frequency, reaching as many as 40 to 50 a day. Even after the couple eventually broke up due to stress, the messages continued for nearly two years, casting a shadow over their youth.
Details of harassment
Initially intended to sow discord, the text messages escalated into personal attacks, death threats, and explicit sexual innuendo. Lauren was repeatedly threatened to "die" and even felt she was being spied on, revealing details known only to those closest to her. These messages, often arriving late at night, left her feeling anxious and fearful. Because the harasser used a random number generator app, blocking the number proved ineffective. Over time, Lauren withdrew into depression, losing interest in her favorite activities and her confidence. Owen was equally devastated, his academic and interpersonal relationships during his teenage years devastated.
Investigation Process
As the situation escalated, Lauren and Owen sought help from their parents and the school. Initially, the school suspected peer bullying, leading to mutual suspicion among students and even innocent students being mistaken for suspects, facing ostracism and online attacks. Ultimately, the police intervened and, with the assistance of FBI cybercrime experts, traced the IP address of the text messages and discovered that all the messages originated from the phone of Lauren's mother, Kendra Licari. A search of her home uncovered crucial evidence, ultimately identifying her as the anonymous harasser.
The true murderer and motive are revealed
The revelation that her mother was the perpetrator shocked the town. Kendra admitted to sending the text messages, but claimed the initial messages were from someone else and she only followed up to "lure them out." However, an investigation confirmed that all the messages were from her.
The documentary suggests three possible motives:
Pathological attention psychology : Similar to "Internet Munchausen Syndrome", she creates crises to gain sympathy and make her daughter dependent on her.
The shadow of her own trauma : She was sexually assaulted during adolescence, which led to a strong desire to protect and control herself, and eventually led her to lose control.
Distorted Emotional Jealousy : It is speculated that she has an abnormal attachment to Owen, which makes her jealous and destroys their relationship.
Ending and subsequent impact
In December 2022, Kendra was arrested and charged. In April 2023, she pleaded guilty and was sentenced to 19 months in prison. Lauren's father was granted full custody and divorced his wife. Kendra was released on parole in August 2024, but remains under supervision and prohibited from visiting her daughter.
Lauren is filled with anger and conflict towards her mother, struggling to forgive her while also feeling a sense of kinship. She expressed her desire to rebuild her relationship with her mother in the future. She is now determined to study criminology, hoping to help other victims.
This incident severely damaged the trust of the entire community and also brought the dangers of cyberbullying to the fore. The documentary reminds viewers that only dialogue and timely intervention can prevent the recurrence of such tragedies.
Unknown Number College Text Message Scam Cast (Documentary) and Character Traits
Documentary format: no fixed cast, focusing on reality and narrative
Netflix chose to present the film in the form of a documentary. Instead of using actors from feature films, it used the "true self-narration" of multiple interviewees, including victims, families, and investigators, combined with dramatic re-enactments to enhance the reality and emotional tension of the incident.
Main "characters" and their relationships
Role | Identity and Relationship | Motivation and psychological traits |
Lauryn | The victim, the core of the story | Being violated during adolescence causes great psychological pressure |
Owen | Luo Lun's boyfriend is also one of the victims | Fighting together, enduring the huge test of emotions and trust |
Kendra | Luo Lun's mother, the manipulator behind the scenes | Suspected of suffering from "Internet Munchausen Syndrome", longing for dependence and attention |
FBI and police | Investigators, helping to uncover the truth | Professional intervention reveals the truth behind the mother-daughter tragedy |
classmates, parents, and school teachers | Roles in social and campus settings | Suspicion arose, causing wider psychological trauma. |
The End and In-Depth Analysis of the Unknown Number University Text Message Scam
The truth is revealed: the mother is the mastermind behind the incident
The moment the truth was revealed was shocking - the text message from the closest person, the mother, turned out to be the source of the greatest harm. This "most terrible betrayal" became the strongest tension in the documentary.
Psychological level: How does the obsession with dependence become toxic?
Some experts pointed out that Kendra may be suffering from "Internet Munchausen Syndrome", a psychological state in which a person creates emotions or illnesses to gain attention and dependence, which makes her willing to sacrifice her daughter's mental health to meet her own needs.
Community Response and Reflection
The documentary sparked heated discussion, with many viewers commenting that the editing of the mother-daughter interview scene in the latter part was ironic and contradictory – the seemingly intimate scenes masked the deep hurt behind them.
Growing pains and a breach of trust
Some viewers on SNS and PTT platforms also mentioned: "A 14-year-old girl is harassed by hundreds of text messages every day, insulting her figure and telling her to die." Such verbal violence has an indelible psychological shadow on the growth of young people.
Conclusion: Trust Crisis and Fear in the Digital Age
"Unknown Number: The Mystery of College Text Scams" uses real-life events to reveal how anonymous messages and scare messages undermine trust in young people and their relationships in today's age of mobile phones and social media. Through revelations and interviews, the documentary reminds viewers that behind virtual messages lies a human heart worth fearing.
This isn't just a case of fraud; it's a profound reflection on family relationships, human trust, and mental health. While shocking, we should also be more vigilant about how to protect our youth and our souls in our daily lives.