What Does Catfishing Mean?

Catfishing has increased in frequency over the past ten years due to social media and online dating growth.

More than 23,000 US citizens claimed to have fallen victim to catfishing in just 2020.

Furthermore, catfishing has a terrible financial impact.

The 23,000 victims recorded over $605,000,000 worth of damage.

Nigeria, behind the Philippines, has the second-highest reported number of romance frauds worldwide, according to a recent Techshielder survey.

But exactly what is this risky catfishing activity that you’ve heard so much about?

What are the telltale indications of catfishing?

What should you do to avoid it?

In this blog post, we will address each of these queries.

What is Catfishing?

Catfishing is using data and photographs, often obtained from other people, to fabricate a new identity.

In other instances, a catfisher will claim to be someone else while stealing their entire identity, including their appearance, birthdate, and location.

The catfisher then uses this identity to dupe people into joining their network or transacting business with them online.

Sometimes, a catfishing attack targets just one individual. In these situations, a catfisher may create a persona they believe will appeal to their intended catfishing victim.

Catfishing has long been prevalent on websites and forums for online dating.

People frequently fabricate some portions of their profiles to entice their targets because catfishers can conceal any or all of their genuine identities without being confronted.

To appear more appealing, they frequently use someone else’s profile photo.

Read: Love vs Infatuation: Similarities and Differences

How Catfishing Works

Catfishing has been around for a long time due to how simple it is to create a false identity online.

After the 2010 publication of the documentary Catfish, the term “catfish” gained popularity. In 2012, MTV debuted the TV programme Catfish.”

They frequently assisted clients in determining whether or not their online partner was a catfish.

Catfishing is a social engineering scam that involves one or more criminals using deceptive methods to obtain personally identifiable information (PII) from unwitting victims.

Generally speaking, catfishing occurs when a fraudster establishes a long-term relationship with their victim online while posing as someone else.

This can be accomplished by creating a false persona or using another person’s photo and personal information.

In certain circumstances, the fraudster may be driven by a desire just to test the deceit as a form of fun mischief.

In other instances, their motivations may be monetary, to steal the victim’s information and either selling it on the black market or utilising it to make purchases themselves.

The likelihood of catfishing has increased as more individuals look for human relationships online and as the number of online dating services has increased.

Fraudsters can quickly find images and personal information on a variety of sites, including social networks and stock picture libraries.

They can even create photorealistic representations of inexistent persons by utilising contemporary artificial intelligence (AI) software.

These resources can then be used to communicate online, creating a relationship that appears trustworthy and sincere from the victim’s perspective.

Sadly, a scammer can then use this confidence to obtain important financial and personal information.

Read: What You Should Know About Online Dating

Signs You Are Being Catfished

There are countless accounts of people who have been catfished online, and while the details may vary, the warning indicators are always the same.

Here are eight indicators that you are being catfished, along with advice on how to avoid it.

The relationship progresses quickly

Most catfishing stories you read will demonstrate how quickly and strongly a person can seduce their potential victims.

You are probably being catfished if the other person seems to be rushing the connection in the first few discussions without ever having met you.

They never want to show their face

There is a significant probability that someone is hiding their genuine identity if they appear sincere but only wish to communicate via phone or writing.

Similarly, if they constantly discuss meetings in person but persistently run into obstacles that prohibit them from doing so,

Social media usage is sparse

Social media accounts are no longer proof of someone’s identification.

They might be a catfish if their accounts have few friends and few postings (being tagged in friends’ photos is most helpful in this research).

They ask for money

Everyone occasionally needs a helping hand, but usually, assistance should be solicited from close relatives or friends—someone you have known for a long time.

If you’ve been romanced online (remember, you’ve never met in person!) and the individual asks you to send money to them or a “friend,” see this as a huge warning sign.

Their “job” sends them around the world

Take note if the person you met online has a “career” that requires them to frequently travel (especially to regions like Africa or the Middle East).

Not everyone who travels for a living is a scam artist.

These people may use this as an excuse to avoid engaging in face-to-face discussion, and those claiming to be stranded abroad frequently ask for money.

Proper grammar is lacking

Do not be hesitant to probe more if someone claims to be from an English-speaking nation, but there is evidence of poor language skills.

A catfish will likely stop communicating with you and start looking for someone else to contact.

They have elaborate stories

Catfishers are skilled at playing on your emotions to win your sympathy or your money.

Early disclosure of childhood trauma to a total stranger should be taken as an attempt to establish an emotional connection.

Catfishers often create elaborate justifications for why they can’t use Skype yet again or even require an urgent money transfer.

Watch out for people who have this habit online.

Read: 10 Dating Safety Tips for Teenagers and Adolescents

Tips on How to Avoid Falling Victim to Catfishing

If you two appear genuinely interested, request a face-to-face encounter within the first week (anything like Skype or Facetime works if they live far away).

Delete the link and be happy you saved time and suffering if they reject, keep making excuses, or never answer.

Never repeatedly send a stranger you met online or someone you don’t know large or irregular sums of money, and never divulge the details of your financial accounts, either!

Be intuitive.

Understandably, it is easy to fall blindly in love with someone who claims to have feelings for you, is wealthy, and has a sweet tongue.

But it should get to a point where they are a little too good to be true. especially when you’ve never met.

Think twice before doing them a favour or sending them any money.

If you want to be sure, there are services such as socialcatfish.com for people who think they are being catfished.

Additionally, the service can investigate and determine the validity of a person’s social media profiles.

Like anything in life, it’s better to be safe than sorry.

Read: The Do’s and Don’ts of Teenage Dating

Conclusion

In conclusion, catfishing poses a significant risk in today’s digital landscape.

As online interactions become more prevalent, recognizing the signs of catfishing is crucial to safeguarding yourself.

By remaining vigilant and following the guidelines provided, you can protect your personal information and avoid falling victim to these deceptive schemes.

Always trust your instincts, and don’t hesitate to verify the authenticity of online personas.

Remember, if something feels off, it’s better to err on the side of caution.

Moreover, stay informed and use resources like socialcatfish.com to help confirm the legitimacy of online connections.

Also, protect yourself and stay safe in the digital world.

Before You Go…

Hey, thank you for reading this blog post to the end. I hope it was helpful. Let me tell you a little bit about Nicholas Idoko Technologies.

We help businesses and companies build an online presence by developing web, mobile, desktop, and blockchain applications.

We also help aspiring software developers and programmers learn the skills they need to have a successful career.

Take your first step to becoming a programming expert by joining our Learn To Code academy today!

Be sure to contact us if you need more information or have any questions! We are readily available.