At least Eight female students at Brigham Young University in Utah were 'catfished' by the same 24-year-old woman - who pretended to be a man.

The victims all believed they were involved in a relationship with a Mormon man living in the same state - only to find out they were being duped by a woman in Texas.

After one of the students became suspicious, it began to emerge that they had all fallen for a serial 'catfish' - someone who tricks others online by setting up fake profiles with fake pictures and names.

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Duped: Brigham Young University student Hilary Hayes believed she was in a relationship with a Mormon man called Hunter Anderson from Utah

The students realised that they had been 'catfished' by a 24-year-old woman (pictured in an image from Fox13) living in Texas

Another victim, Sara Vanwagenen, believed she was in a relationship with a man called 'Hyrum Young' but, despite regular text and telephone conversations, the pair never met up

One of the victims, Hilary Hayes, said she had been texted out of the blue by someone calling himself 'Hunter Anderson' who claimed to have seen her at a party and that he was a member of The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints.

She told Fox13 that they would regularly text and talk and he even sent her flowers on Valentine's Day - but that Anderson would never agree to meet up.

At the same time, another victim, Sara Vanwagenen, believed she was in a relationship with a man called 'Hyrum Young'. She too reported that the person they were in contact with would never agree to meet up.

The pair eventually realised the texts they were receiving were from the same number and it turned out they had both been duped by a woman called Kayla, from Texas.

Targeted: It soon emerged that at least eight women at Brigham Young University (pictured) in Utah, had been tricked into digital relationships with the imposter

It soon emerged that at least eight women had been tricked into forming digital relationships with the imposter.

Kayla later told the women she was coming out as gay and that that she was 'essentially practicing' on the BYU students, Fox13 reports.

Miss Vanwagenen is reported as saying: 'I let this person into my life in a really big way. I was really angry and really hurt.'

Miss Hayes added: 'She just knew everything about me it was just really hurtful to find out that you literally didn’t know anything about this person, not even something so foundational as their name.'