What Is Catfishing?

Catfishing scams are emotionally and financially devastating. Beware of fake profiles on social media and online dating sites.

This article will describe catfishing, how it works, and how to prevent it. You can also contact a consumer protection attorney near you for legal advice specific to your situation.

What Is Catfishing?

Catfishing is a scam where someone, the”catfish,”creates a fictitious online identity and seeks out online relationships. The scammer then uses these relationships to get money, information, and other items of value from the victim.

Recognizing a catfish on the internet is difficult. There are a few typical signs of an illegal catfishing scheme.

Unfortunately, many people don’t detect an online scammer until it’s too late. Consumer protection laws aim to protect against catfishing and help victims recover from fraud.

How Catfishing Scams Work

Catfishing involves significant deception — not just using an old photo of yourself on a dating website. A catfish will be far more deceptive.

The scammer often uses someone else’s photos, sometimes even pictures of children. They might steal personal details such as work, educational history, and personal history from the internet. They might invent an entire fictitious life for their new identity.

Catfishing often takes advantage of romantic relationships. Online dating websites and dating apps are fertile hunting grounds for catfish. But some catfish seek out friendships, professional networking, and other forms of social contact.

What Do Catfish Want?

Catfish may have different goals, and not all involve financial fraud. Many catfishing scams intend to steal from the victim. Other catfish have more personal motives.

Catfish might never ask for money or gifts outright, but they often prey on victims’ sympathy and emotions. They may invent tragic family events or personal circumstances so that the victim offers help.

Some fraudsters use fake identities as a phishing method. They seek personal information to commit identity theft. The scammer usually wants to access the victim’s bank account, credit cards, and other financial information.

In social catfishing cases, a person may use a fake online profile for amusement, emotional validation, or revenge. Money is not the primary goal. They can still disrupt others’ lives and privacy even without seeking theft.

Online Romance Scams

The popularity of online dating has made catfishing an ever-present risk. Many cases of catfishing involve preying on people’s natural desire to form meaningful romantic relationships. Other common terms for this scheme are”honey trap”or”honeypot.”

In an online dating scam, the scammer creates a fake profile to find users on dating sites like Tinder or Hinge. These romance scammers sometimes contact hundreds of people at once, waiting for whoever responds. Once they identify a target, they may spend a long time pretending to be in love with the victim.

After luring someone, a romance scammer might begin making gift or information requests. The requests often start as small amounts on gift cards before moving to expensive purchases. For example, they might ask you to buy plane tickets so they can visit you, but they never arrive. Sometimes, the catfish may ask for help with a U.S. visa, exposing the victim to immigration fraud problems.

Is Catfishing Illegal?

Creating a fake profile online is not a crime in itself. It may break the website or app’s terms of service. Yet, catfishing may enable the crime to happen.

Catfishing may lead to crimes such as:

• Identity theft
• Harassment, cyberstalking, and cyberbullying
• Blackmail and other extortion
• Soliciting or distributing criminal revenge porn material
• Impersonation, including pretending to be a person of authority like a lawyer, police officer, or FBI agent
• Various forms of fraud

Unfortunately, a catfish who commits crimes might never see a courtroom. Digital crimes involving anonymous users are hard for regulators and law enforcement to trace. Scammers also live in countries worldwide, complicating U.S. consumers’ justice process.

How To Recognize Catfishing Online

It can be hard to tell whether an account belongs to a real person or an imposter.

Protect your safety and privacy online. Below are some common signs you might be talking to a scammer.

They’re Too Good To Be True

This is the earliest warning sign. Catfish use fake online identities to appear more attractive than they are.

It’s fairly common for a catfish to pretend to be a model, an actor, or part of another glamorous profession. Claiming to be a famous person means they can also access photo libraries online to make their deception look real.

But even a non-celebrity fake profile can be alluring. A catfish may use compliments and unwavering sympathy to gain the target’s trust.

Their Profile Is New or Incomplete

Catfish need to keep their assumed identity straight. Limiting the number of photos and personal information on social media sites helps them maintain this illusion.

The profile might also have few friends, followers, or connections. Yet, some large scam organizations may create enough fake profiles to connect them, making new accounts look popular and legitimate.

They Move Quickly

Catfish may quickly move a relationship along to manipulate their victims. They may express intense statements of attraction or admiration without regard to personal boundaries. Be cautious if someone online tries to become very close very quickly.

They Won’t Meet You

This is the classic warning sign. The game is up when the scammer’s target reveals a fake online identity or profile.

Because of this, a catfish will often avoid meeting you. They might agree to meet but later invent a reason they couldn’t show up. Common tactics include stories about work emergencies, personal problems, or sick friends and relatives. Without a face-to-face meeting, it’s hard to tell whether the other person is who they say.

Catfishing Red Flags Have Become Harder To Spot

Scammers are difficult to avoid. They use many tactics to manipulate people online, and those tactics evolve constantly. Cybersecurity practices and laws must keep up with new challenges.

With the rise of artificial intelligence (AI), creating fake information may be easier than ever. Scammers could quickly generate new social media accounts that appear authentic. For instance, a scammer can use AI-generated profile pictures. They would not appear in an image search because they are unique. Yet, they are not actual photos of people who exist in real life.

Even voice and video chats may be fake. The Federal Trade Commission (FTC) warns that AI voice technologies put consumers at risk. Scammers may use a filter or audio software to create a different voice and appearance. Their new persona might have a fake accent, gender, or age. Or, they may use AI trained on a specific voice — such as your friend, parent, or boss.

Why Is Using a Fake Online Profile Called Catfishing?

“Catfishing”comes from an analogy about predation. Its basis is a fishers’ method in the early 1900s. Fishers would put a catfish into a tank of cod during the shipping process. Catfish are predators of cod, so they could keep the cod active — and tastier — during the long journey.

A scammer is like a catfish in a tank of cod. Their fake profile blends in with the rest of the legitimate profiles. But unlike other users in the internet”tank,”they target consumers. Users need to rely on safety practices to avoid becoming their prey.

“Catfish,”a 2010 movie, first referenced this method in the context of online imposters. The movie featured a man who met a woman online and grew concerned about her true identity. The movie led to a popular spin-off,”Catfish: The TV Show,”on MTV.

What To Do About Suspected Catfishing

If a catfish scam targets you, acting fast is crucial. Catfishing can destroy victims’ privacy and finances.

Report scams and identity theft early, and protect your accounts when you discover the deception. Gathering screenshots and other evidence before blocking the account is helpful.

Consumer laws can help you recover certain losses. If serious problems arise related to catfishing, contact a consumer protection lawyer for advice and help.