Netflix Debuts “Unknown Number: The High School Catfish” Documentary Exposing Kendra Licari’s Cyberbullying Case

Beal City, Michigan - Netflix today premiered its true-crime documentary Unknown Number: The High School Catfish, revealing the startling story of Kendra Licari, a Michigan mother who terrorized her own daughter and the daughter’s boyfriend with thousands of harassing text messages over 15 months. The film follows the 2021-2022 cyberbullying ordeal endured by 13-year-old Lauryn Licari and her then-boyfriend, who received up to 12 daily messages from an unknown number that contained private information only someone close to Lauryn could know.

Through interviews with the teenage victims, law enforcement officials, and expert commentators, the documentary chronicles how local detectives enlisted the FBI to trace the IP addresses behind the messages, ultimately exposing Kendra Licari as the perpetrator masquerading under a false identity and using VPN services to conceal her location. Charged in December 2022 with two counts of stalking a minor, Licari confessed to the crimes when confronted with over 10,000 pages of digital evidence and was later sentenced in April 2023 to 19 months-5 years in prison.

Directors and producers of Unknown Number emphasize the psychological impact of cyberbullying within families and the importance of digital forensics in protecting minors. The documentary is available to stream globally beginning August 29, 2025.