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Catfishing is a form of online fraud where a person impersonates someone else online to mislead the victim. Learn how to recognize and prevent this scam.
People use social networks, dating apps, message boards, chat rooms, and video games to develop relationships and connect, often with strangers. The Internet has greatly simplified the possibility of communication, but at the same time scammers, predators and trolls take advantage of this situation through a deceptive practice known as catfishing.
Catfishing can have serious consequences for victims. Being cheated by someone you trusted can lead to emotional trauma, mental health problems, financial loss and reputational damage.
Read this in-depth guide to learn more about:
What is catfishing?
Is catfishing illegal?
Why do people do this?
How to prevent this.
Catfishing is a deceptive process in which a person creates a false identity in order to deceive others. Some use it to protect their own identity, fulfill their fantasies or emotionally manipulate. Others use catfishing as a method of social engineering.
Catfishing scammers usually use stolen photos and fabricated data to mislead people. They often target those looking for love or companionship and go to great lengths to create a convincing fictitious persona.
Missing images and videos or stolen media.
Minimal social media presence or newly created profile
There are no records in search engines.
Instant romantic attachments and love bombing.
Avoid video calls and face-to-face meetings
Asking for money.
Requesting candid images or videos.
Wild stories like being employed by the CIA or getting into a freak accident with no evidence.
The term catfishing comes from Nev Shulman’s 2010 documentary Catfish. In the film, Shulman forms an online friendship with a girl, only to discover that her persona was a fabrication. Instead of a girl, Shulman discovers that he was talking to a 40-year-old housewife. In the documentary, a fisherman’s husband recounts the myth of live cod being transported in tanks with catfish to keep them active rather than lethargic. He compares the practice of shipping with the behavior of his wife.
Catfishing is not always illegal. It is not against the law to create a new online persona that does not match your real persona. However, this practice can be a prerequisite for illegal actions. For example, fraudsters may use a fictitious identity to deceive, harass or blackmail, which is considered a criminal activity in many countries. Also, if a catfisher uses someone else’s data for financial gain, it may be considered identity theft under the law.
There can be many reasons for using catfishing, and not all of them are criminal in nature. However, even seemingly innocent cases can have negative psychological consequences for victims.
Revenge and aggression. Catfishing is sometimes used as a tool of revenge or aggression. Fraudsters create fake identities to cause emotional, psychological or financial harm to the victim. They can be jealous partners, rejected lovers or stalkers seeking revenge.
Personal protection. Some people use catfishing to protect their identity online. They may be afraid of attacks by hackers or stalkers, or simply want to keep their personal information private. For example, parents sometimes create fake profiles to protect their children, or victims of abuse may create fake profiles to avoid their abusers.
Exposure. Sometimes people use catfishing to boost their self-esteem. Those who are insecure about their appearance or social status may create a fake persona to feel like a different person in the online space.
Persecution. Catfishing can also be a tool of harassment or intimidation. Scammers gain the trust of victims by pretending to be other people and use this to emotionally harm or humiliate them. Trolls often resort to catfishing for cyberbullying.
To receive personal information. Some scammers use fake profiles to trick their victims into personal information. This information can be used for identity theft, account hacking, or other criminal activities. For example, a blackmailer may create a fake profile to gain the victim’s trust and then use the resulting confidential information to extort money.
Social engineering attacks. Hackers, spies, and even government agents use catfishing as part of social engineering to attack their targets. They try to trick the victim into accessing sensitive information or convince the victim to install malicious software such as Trojans, spyware, or ransomware. For example, retexting is a form of phishing where an attacker pretends to be a colleague, romantic partner, or authority figure for manipulation before an attack.
There have been many high-profile cases of catfishing in recent years. Here are some of the most famous examples:
Anna Sorokina, also known as Anna Delvy, pretended to be a wealthy socialite who engaged in various scams. She has been the subject of articles, a podcast, a book, television stories, and a nine-episode Netflix show called Inventing Anna.
Manti Te’o is a former football star who had an online relationship with Lennai Kekua. After an investigation by sports blog Deadspin, it was discovered that Kekua is not real. She was a fake identity created by Te’o’s friend. The story of catfishing is the subject of the Netflix documentary Untold: The Girlfriend Who Didn’t Exist.
Israeli con artist Simon Leviev (Shimon Hayut) used dating apps to swindle women out of money to support his lavish lifestyle while manipulating them emotionally.
As mentioned above, Nev Shulman was caught by a woman named Angela, who pretended to be a younger woman named Megan. Nev was the subject of the documentary Catfish which popularized the term.
Cyberbullying. Some cyberbullies use anonymity to stalk their victims. Through catfishing, they can take cyberbullying to a new level by first gaining the trust of the target and then using their sensitive data or personal photos and videos to humiliate them.
Kidnapping There are cases when criminals used catfishing to kidnap their victims. In some countries, even kidnapping gangs use this tactic to lure victims.
Sharing confidential information. Victims of catfishing may unknowingly share personal information that criminals use for financial crimes, identity theft, or blackmail.
Theft. Criminals, having gained access to the victim’s information through catfishing, can organize a convincing phishing attack for their own benefit. They can access accounts such as bank accounts or platforms like PayPal.
Fraud. One of the biggest dangers of catfishing is fraud. Professional scammers often use romance scams to get vulnerable people, such as the elderly or emotionally unstable, to send them money for fake emergencies or gifts.
Psychological effects. Catfishing can have a serious psychological impact on the victim. Feelings of betrayal, humiliation and helplessness can lead to anxiety, stress and other mental health problems.
If something seems too good to be true, it probably is. If the interlocutor’s behavior is suspicious, pay attention to the red flags. For example, refusing a video chat may indicate a desire to hide one’s true identity. Be wary of people who ask for money or use emotional manipulation such as love bombing or mirroring. Teach your loved ones, especially children and the elderly, to recognize such threats.
Catfish may use your personal information for identity theft or fraud. Avoid sharing your sensitive information, such as your address, date of birth, or phone number.
Catfish often use other people’s photos for fake accounts. Using a reverse image search, you can find that a photo belongs to another person or is taken from someone else’s profile.
Catfishers use fake information in their profiles. Look for inconsistencies in their posts and see if there is logic in what they are saying about themselves.
Learn more about their origins and check information online. You can usually find some information about real people online, while catfish accounts often don’t.
Professional fraudsters can use malware to access your personal information. Don’t open suspicious links, update your privacy settings, use different passwords, enable multi-factor authentication, and install antivirus software. For added protection, use a VPN and adjust privacy settings on social networks.
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