You’ve likely heard the term ‘catfishing’ circulating on the internet or mentioned randomly in conversation, but what does it mean?
Catfishing is a form of deception where online users – typically on social media and dating sites – adopt a fake identity and try to make people fall in love with their persona.
The term itself has conflicting origins, ranging from a 2010 documentary titled ‘Catfish’, to stories dating as far back as the early 1900s, where anglers observed that captured catfish would chase cod, keeping them fresh. ‘Catfishing’ follows a similar act of chasing someone down.
Why Do People Catfish?
Unlike the territorial fish, online catfishers chase their victims for two main reasons: a lack of romantic attention or exploitation. The former can still be problematic, but the latter is where the truly negative connotations of catfishing come from.
Catfishers will often request money from victims through guilt tripping, false promises or blackmail. Common reasons behind requesting money include needing to pay for a family member’s surgery or to get a flight to come over and see the victim.
When victims are exploited and reveal sensitive or personal information about themselves, catfishers will blackmail them in order to receive payments.
Something people seemingly forget is that catfish personas don’t just materialise: they come from the identities of existing people. Platforms like Tinder have begun introducing ID checks to help reduce catfishing, but the risk of identity theft remains.
Form ll restriction can help combat identity theft by having a conveyancer confirm your actions, such as major changes to a mortgage. Conveyancers provide a valuable insight on these matters and can add an additional layer of security to your ID with their services, such as those listed on https://www.parachutelaw.co.uk/form-ll-land-registry-restriction.
Signs of Catfishing
Some of the most common signs include: refusal of video calls/in-person meetings; recently created profiles with very few followers or friends; professional and stolen pictures; and requesting money or explicit content from you.
It may seem ridiculous that anyone would fall for these accounts, but social media has a knack for distorting the truth, and catfishers can be crafty in the ways they exploit people. If you suspect you’re speaking to a catfish online, the best thing you can do is report and block the account.
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