What is Catfishing? Signs & Preventions of Being Catfished

July 26, 2024 By Johan Curtis No Comments 8 minutes

Have you ever been catfished online? What is catfishing really? Do you know any signs of it? In short, if you’ve been talking to someone unknown online, and they’re constantly fishing for your information, it’s one sign that you’re about to be catfished. There are many risks to it, but there are always ways to prevent it. 

WARNING! Never share your personal information online, no matter how close you get with someone. You might know them for days, weeks, months, or years by conversation, but if you don’t have any authentic data on them, that’s a sign you’re being phished. Most cases of harassment, stalking, phishing, etc., start and take place online. Also, ensure that you never click on links you don’t trust, even if a friend sends them. Chances are their profiles are hacked. Add extra protection and encrypt your data and connection with FastestVPN. 

This guide will teach you about catfishing online, whether it’s illegal, how to recognize the signs, why people do it, and how to prevent catfishing techniques. 

What is Catfishing?

What does it mean to be catfished? Catfishing is a term used when someone’s information, images, and other personal data are stolen by others. This information is then used for identity theft, creating new accounts with the stolen information, and phishing others. It can include your name, your year or date of birth, workplace, social security numbers, house address, and beyond. 

Catfishing is only sometimes targeted at larger crowds but rather at one individual. Sometimes, scammers create a fake online persona designed to appeal to one person. This tactic is especially common in online dating, where catfishers can fabricate their profiles without anyone suspecting a thing. They might use stolen photos to appear more attractive and build a fake life story to reel in their target.

Not all online deception is as elaborate; there are also tiny targets, such as kittenfishing. It involves someone faking only a small part of their identity, like their hobbies or how they look in photos. It’s a milder form of catfishing, mainly to attract the target on online dating sites.

Why Is It Called Catfishing?

The Catfishing scam was first used in 2010 when the American documentary/film called Catfish came out. It was based on Nev Schulman, the executive producer, who himself was a victim to a 40+ year old housewife who pretended to be an 18-year old girl. 

However, the actual term is from the saltwater catfish that were placed in tanks with codfish to keep them lively during transportation or purchasing. 

The catfish themselves weren’t valuable, but they played a pivotal role in the codfish’s reaction for a purpose. It’s just like someone who pretends to be someone else online and isn’t genuine – they’re there to deceive, not for authentic connection.

Why Do People Catfish?

There’s no one answer to why people catfish others; there are a few. We know that catfishing online or catfishing a woman or man is when the attacker fakes his/her/their personality, creating someone desirable. 

They use it to trick others into giving up information, but sometimes just for the pleasure of it. That said, here are a few reasons why people catfish others: 

Insecure Personality

People catfish to create fake online personas to compensate for insecurities about their real lives. They might use photos of attractive people and pretend to have successful careers to feel admired and popular. It’s a way to escape their reality and build a fantasy life online.

Like Hiding Their Identity

Hiding behind a fake online identity can be used for both harmless and harmful purposes. People might do it for fun, to troll others without facing consequences. For example, target a friend and catfish on social media. On a more serious note, some people use fake identities to cheat on their partners or to extort money from others. Without knowing who the scammer is, victims can find it difficult to report the crime.

Mental Illnesses

People struggling with depression or anxiety might turn to catfishing as a way to escape their reality. By creating a more desirable online persona, they can experience a sense of belonging and confidence that they lack in their own lives. This reason might not seem harmful, but there are a few catfishers with depression that go a little too far, creating havoc around targets. 

Possible Revenge

Some catfishers are out for revenge. They steal someone’s identity and use it to damage their reputation online and publicly. This can include posting embarrassing content, committing cybercrimes under the victim’s name, or meddling with other members of the family.

Sexual Experimentations

Some individuals use catfishing as a way to explore their sexual identity. By creating a false online persona with a different sexual orientation, they can experience what it might be like to live that lifestyle without revealing their true identity. 

Harassment & Stalking

Catfishing can be a tool for stalkers. If someone is being harassed online and blocks their abuser, the stalker might create a fake profile to continue their unwanted attention. Even though the victim doesn’t recognize the new account, the stalker can still see their posts and updates, allowing them to keep track of the victim’s life.

How Do You Spot Catfishing

There are a few very obvious signs of catfishing, which are fairly simple; we’ve made a list for you.

• They have very limited photos uploaded on their social media, all of them being recent
• Not a lot of social media presence
• They look too good to be true
• Their following or number of friends is very low
• They may seem extremely interested in you in very little time
• Make grammatical errors and have language barriers
• Always seem to reject the idea of meeting or video calling
• Always have a sob story ready to gain sympathy
• Asks for money repeatedly by presenting a new sad reason every time
• They never seem to provide a permanent address

The Risks of Catfishing

In most cases, catfishing can become seriously dangerous and is a huge cause for concern. There are many risks of catfishing, some of which are:

• Potential Monetary Loss: Most fake profiles will solicit money from you and asks for loans etc. by providing a depressing story about themselves.
• Online Embarrassment: Some people end up catfishing you only to bully or belittle you. In such an attempt, they may end up bullying you in public by exposing whatever conversations they had with you or posting your private conversations online, making it an extremely embarrassing scenario for you.
• Create Trust Issues: Once a person has become a victim of a catfishing case, it is most likely that it becomes rather difficult for them to trust anyone again that easily which may bring several hindrances in their lives.
• The Threat of being Stalked: The most dangerous risk of catfishing is the potential threat of the actual user behind the fake profile stalking you. Your catfish could easily manipulate you into telling them all of your personal information and confidential data then use it against you in an attempt to spy on you. Such people may try to install spyware onto your device so they can monitor all your actions throughout the day and easily gain access to your credentials and other confidential data.
• Emotionally Scarring: Catfishing is most likely to leave a person scarred since the victim invests so much time and effort into the particular relationship and the other person does not reciprocate at all and is only using the victim for his/her gain.

How to Prevent Catfishing

There are a few simple ways you can prevent or avoid a catfishing attempt; here’s how:

1. Always trust your instincts as soon as you feel a shift in behavior. 
2. Do a little research on the person. 
3. Ensure that you maintain your online privacy no matter what.
4. Never give money to anyone online, even if you’ve been dating for months. 
5. Always keep asking questions. Catfishers often dodge them. 
6. Look them up on social media. Everyone is online nowadays. 
7. Ask them to meet you in a public place away from your home. 
8. Password-protect your social media accounts and data. 
9. Ask for a video call, but do not leave any identifiable traces behind you. 
10. Stop the conversation for a while and see them react. They always do. 
11. Install good anti-spyware software to prevent an attempt of spying
12. Make sure to always video call the online friend before setting up a meeting
13. Don’t share personal information. That’s a no-brainer. 
14. Tell a friend or family. 

FAQs – What is Catfishing?

Conclusion

Catfishing nowadays has become a serious issue, with rising low self-esteem cases and several online thefts. It is the next best option for fraudsters and hackers.

Even though in some cases, it may not cause you any serious harm, it is still risky and important for you to take the right preventive measures to avoid such an attempt.

Subscribe to Newsletter

Receive the trending posts of the week and the latest announcements from FastestVPN via our email newsletter.

Email Address