I’ll bet you’ve heard the term “catfish” used in connection with certainly deceptive online behavior. In case you weren’t sure what it means, here’s a quick explanation.
Catfishing is a term that refers to the act of creating a fake online identity to deceive someone into a romantic relationship. The term originated from a 2010 documentary called “Catfish,” where a man named Nev Schulman fell in love with a woman he met on Facebook, only to discover that she was not who she claimed to be. Since then, the term has become widely used to describe the actions of those who create false online identities for deception.
Catfishing is not limited to romantic relationships, as people may also create fake identities to scam others out of money or to gain access to sensitive information. Scammers could pretend to be a bank, a government agency, a package delivery service, or any agency or organization that might need you information.
Catfishing can has serious consequences for those who fall victim to it, including emotional trauma and financial loss.
One of the most frightening forms of catfishing is adults who pretend to be teens and lure kids into romantic relationships and trick them into sending explicit images. The crooks will then blackmail the kids, threatening to release the images. There have been multiple incidents where children have harmed themselves because of these predators.
It is essential to be cautious when interacting with people or businesses online and to verify their identity before becoming too emotionally invested in a relationship or starving your information.