Catfishing is a deceptive activity where a person creates a sockpuppet presence or fake identity on a social networking service, usually targeting a specific victim for abuse or fraud. The practice may be used for financial gain, to compromise a victim in some way, or simply as forms of trolling or wish fulfillment.
Students reflect on their catfishing experiences during COVID-19
Sierra Mihu just wanted something to pass the time.
The fourth-year biological sciences major felt bored during the pandemic, so she decided to download Bumble. This way, she’d combat her boredom and meet new people at the same time.
Then she met Brian, 24, from Lancaster. She swiped right and messaged him.
“He messaged back, and he was really nice,” Mihu said. “The next day, he messaged me and went out of his way to ask me how my exam was that day. He gave me compliments and was really nice.”
It seemed that Mihu had found a nice guy – someone she felt good talking to. After the two of them talked for a while, Brian asked for her Snapchat. Feeling comfortable enough, Mihu gave it to him.
It was all downhill from there.
“He said, ‘Do you want to see what I look like?’ in the messaging part of Snap,” Mihu said. “I didn’t really know what he meant by that, but I said ‘sure.’ He continued to send me a collection of photos of him, but it didn’t have his face in it.”
The pictures were risque shots of Brian, unclothed. This was Mihu’s first red flag that something might not be right.
“I was uncomfortable that he even did that because it didn’t seem like him,” Mihu said. “It didn't seem like this nice guy who would ask about my day and who would compliment me and have a good conversation.”
Then, Brian asked for photos of Mihu in exchange. She trusted her gut on this one and told him “no” – point-blank saying she didn’t trust him. He tried to prove to her that he was who he said he was by sending a mirror selfie.
Immediately, Mihu consulted with her roommates to show them the sketchy photo. There was a border around the picture, like Brian had taken a photo of another photo. She told Brian that she still was unsure, and he blew up.
“He got so angry,” Mihu said. “He was like, ‘What do you mean you don’t know that it’s me? I sent you a Snap; there’s no way I could be fake,’ pretty much gaslighting me, making me feel like the bad guy. Then he said ‘This always happens,’ which was another red flag.”
He tried to convince Mihu that his outburst was due to trust issues, saying the last woman he talked to saved his photos, then blocked him. Mihu was still nervous, citing human trafficking as one of her main concerns, and refused to send him photos.
Their conversations soon became awkward. Brian played the victim card and complained that Mihu thought he was ugly. Mihu ended up blocking him on Snapchat.
The next day, she was watching the MTV show Catfish – unrelated to her situation – and the host of the show did a reverse image search. Mihu was inspired.
“I was like, ‘You know what? Just out of curiosity, I’m going to do this image search, and the literal first result was a Twitter page of the exact same photo,’” Mihu said.
It turned out Brian was posing as a model from a different country. Mihu was catfished, or lured into a relationship from a fictional persona online.
Just last year, Americans lost $201 million to romance scammers, with Ohio having the No. 9 slot of most victims. The FTC reported that romance scams increased by 40% last year, up from $143 million in 2018.
Catfishing has been a growing epidemic during the coronavirus. In a study from SocialCatfish.com, a record 26.6 million people are using data apps in 2020, which is an 18.4% increase from 2019. Additionally, 31% of users said they are spending more time on dating apps.
But it’s not just dating where people are getting scammed. Reese Little, an Athens resident, lost around $40 from an online “bathing suit sale” that was offering a $5 sale. Then, the sale charged her twice for $20 for a membership that was hidden in the fine print.
“I was so mad,” Little said. “I can’t do anything about it. I couldn’t get a hold of the people, and I didn’t have the money to pay for a membership. That’s why I did the sale in the first place because it was only $5.”
Similarly scammed, Christos Ioannou, a sophomore at Capital University, wanted to build his Twitter presence by procuring the handle @Christos, which had been snagged by a Greek Spanish web developer well over a decade ago.
The man with the handle approached Ioannou to set up a trade: $100 for the handle. After setting up a GoFundMe, receiving several Venmos and contributing $20 of his own, Ioannou sent the man money.
The man promptly stopped responding, and that’s when Ioannou realized he was scammed. With the help of his mom and his bank, he was able to get his money back and refund everyone who donated, all within a week or so.
“At the end of it, I felt like a schmuck because there were so many red flags that I should have seen,” Ioannou said. “I fell hook, line and sinker.”
Mihu, Little and Ioannou believe the coronavirus pandemic has played a large role in the increase of catfishing and Internet scams.
“Ever since March, I’ve been much more terminally online,” Ioannou said. “I think it’s one of those things where, now that so many more people are not forced to be online, but a lot more of our social interactions are through social media, it makes it tougher. Not to mention catfishing specifically ... just thinking about all the people who are that starved for contact, I have to imagine that it’s gone up significantly.”
The Risks of Using Cat Fishing Dating Services
For people who do everything on the computer, from browsing websites to paying bills online, using social media and websites to look for love is a unique alternative to a real-life dating search. Well, now there is a new trend on the Internet that is out there circulating but it is not as new on the Internet world as you might think. This trend is called catfishing.
Catfishing on the Internet should not be taken too lightly. Catfishing can be found on online dating websites and it can happen in person too if you’re not careful in noticing the signs. These online dating websites are a, “playground for identity thieves, hackers and other nasty people.”
What is a catfish? “A catfish – or someone online who’s pretending to be someone they are not.” This is something to think about long and hard before anyone makes the decision of trusting these dating websites.
Mellissa Ferrari, who wrote the article called, “What Is Catfishing And How Can We Protect Ourselves” states, “Some catfish do so because they don’t wish to reveal something they see as potentially negative about themselves, and some do it just for the fun of it.” Ferrari mentions in her article, that catfishes are looking to, “coerce someone into doing something they wouldn’t normally do – like give money or send intimate photos – or are trying to gather enough information to commit fraud identity.”
https://thebannercsi.com/2019/03/06/the-risks-of-using-cat-fishing-dating-services/
What is catfishing and how can we protect ourselves?
What is catfishing on the internet
The term ‘catfishing’ is used to describe when someone has created a fake online identity with the intent to pursue someone romantically under false pretences.
Some catfish because they don’t wish to reveal something they see as potentially negative about themselves, and some do it just for the fun of it.
Unfortunately, others have more alarming agendas, such as wanting to coerce someone into doing something they wouldn’t normally do. For example, to give money, send intimate photos, or are trying to gather enough information to commit fraud identity.
How can catfishing make you feel?
Even if the catfishing is not particularly sinister, it can still be extremely hurtful and frustrating when you’ve invested time in someone online, only for them not to be who you thought they were. It can also make some women feel very vulnerable and impact their ability to trust anyone again, especially if they have already suffered a traumatic break up.
Catfishing is a somewhat scary concept, however don’t let it stop you from using dating apps and sites. You just need to protect yourself.
Tips to avoid being a victim of catfishing
Never use the Internet for online dating while under the influence of alcohol or drugs.
Don’t leave it weeks, but take time to get to know someone and check that things ‘add up’ before meeting-up in real life.
Do a background check – Google a potential date if you have enough details. You can also use searches created for potential dates as well, thanks to the increase of online dating apps.
Look for red flags, such as spelling mistakes and bad grammar on a profile when someone has stated they are college or university educated.
Be wary if they mention recent traumatic life events (such as the death of a partner or child) as many will fake stories such as these to make you feel you feel sorry for them and therefore be more trusting.
One of the biggest indicators of catfishing is when a person makes excuses to not meet you, won’t do a video call and even avoids all conversation about when to meet up. If they’re putting off a face-to face-date it could mean they have something to hide.
If a profile photo looks like a Hollywood movie star or model and appears too good to be true, use Google images to check the profile photo. If it comes up on another site that makes you feel suspicious, or it’s out rightly a magazine cover model, you are potentially being catfished. You can also use Catfish reverse image search apps.
Always remember, if it’s too good to be true it probably is.
And then there’s kittenfishing
Another thing to be mindful of is kittenfishing. It’s quite likely you’re even guilty of this yourself!
A much lighter version of catfishing, it is when someone embellishes or improves their profile to make themselves more appealing online – such as using a photo from ten years ago, adjusting their age or lying about their education or profession.
Generally, people who kittenfish aren’t meaning to be harmful. The reason for it is to present the best version of themselves they possibly can to increase their odds of meeting someone. This doesn’t make it any less annoying though when you meet them in person.
And if you are tempted to kittenfish yourself, just remember that at some point potential dates and future partners will uncover the ‘real you’. Therefore, a true reflection of who you really are is always best.
https://beanstalkmums.com.au/catfishing-can-protect/
#Risks #CatFishing #DatingServices
