Catfishing is a deceptive activity in which a person creates a fictional persona or fake identity on a social networking service, usually targeting a specific victim. The practice may be used for financial gain, to compromise a victim in some way, or to lure a victim to a place to be kidnapped or hurt in another way. Sexual predators use fake identities to talk to teens, allowing them to get close to them so that the victim will trust them. This then allows for the predator to get information from the victim to use that information to potentially harm them.
A catfish is someone who sets up a fake online profile to trick people who are looking for love, usually to get money out of them. They take information and images, typically from other people, and use them to create a new identity for themselves. They often use a profile picture they stole from someone else to appear more attractive and falsify professions, locations, and likes and dislikes. When someone only fakes a few or relatively insignificant elements of their identity, it is referred to as kitten fishing.
The term "catfishing" comes from a 2010 documentary film in which a man named Nev Schulman presented his own experience of being tricked online. Schulman then created an MTV show, which he and his partner Max Joseph host. The show investigates catfishing cases and often reveals a catfishs true identity at the end of an episode.
Here are some signs that you might be getting catfished:
- The person avoids showing their face.
- They refuse to video chat or meet in person.
- They have a lot of excuses for why they cant meet.
- They ask for personal information, like your full name, address, date of birth, or bank details.
- They love bomb you with overwhelming messages to distract you from asking questions about their identity.
- They try to get you to commit to a relationship, even though you havent met in person.
- They ask for money or gifts.
- They have inconsistencies in their stories, and things dont make sense.
