How Not to Fall into Catfishing Scams?

Catfishing scams are very real and more common than you may think. Catfishers are waiting in the dark, luring their prey and devouring every single pinch of trust they can. It’s important to know how catfishing works and how not to fall into catfishing scams related to dating and relationships.

With understanding, you can learn to avoid these scams cleverly. So let’s get to your journey to safety.

What Is Catfishing And How It Works?

Catfishing is creating a fake persona online to get people to trust you and then deceive them later on. Usually, this is done to get financial benefits using emotional manipulation. Some common reasons behind catfishing could be

• Fraudulent activities like asking for money, personal information or gifts.
• Identity theft for extracting money on a person’s behalf
• To take revenge using someone else’s identity.
• Just for emotional satisfaction. Yeah, this is evil but it is what it is. Faking Prize money to get your confidential information.
• Romance scams where catfishers can make attractive profiles to lure people.
• Military romance scams where people pretend to be from the military and make romantic connections with you. This either ends up in blackmailing or extracting money from you.
• Assistance scams where people can ask for your help to access their financial assets.
• Phishing scams where people can make you click on seemingly legal websites. When you click, your data is fetched through those fake links.

How To Know It is Catfishing Scams?

Catfishing scams are not hard to tell. Usually, people get blinded by emotional judgement and ignore the evident signs. That is mostly people who are emotionally naive and sensitive. They easily get manipulated by tactics.

To know someone is catfishing you, look for these signs

• Most of their stories will not match. One time they will tell you one thing and another time, the same story will get twisted according to the situation. So always pay attention to details. If something is off, it is likely off. So if someone gives you changing information about themselves, know they are catfishing you.
• Usually, catfishers won’t want their identity to be revealed. They would keep their face, real name or address hidden from you. The first sign to spot this is avoidance of video calls. They would also give lame excuses for not showing their real self. However, some pro scammers do show their real faces but use a different identity to scam you. So you can’t trace back to them.
• Cat Fishers will want to build a sudden connection with you. They will want to gain trust and use that to manipulate you. So if they express sudden love or affection without knowing you much, a catfishing scam is brewing behind the doors. Also, they will want you to replicate their feelings so certain milestones can be passed quickly.
• If someone asks you for money or any kind of financial assistance, be aware. Until and unless you have not met them multiple times both your families are introduced and all backgrounds checked, never give your hard-earned cash to anyone.
• Most catfishers have short-term profiles. Their social media won’t date back to their childhood and the community they grew up in. If you see such profiles, distance yourself as soon as possible.

How to Avoid Catfishing Scams?

Here are a few tricks that will help you avoid catfishing

• If someone is sending you friendship requests on multiple social media platforms, block them from everywhere because usually, no one has access to your social media profiles unless they have full homework done.
• Use reverse image search to see if their pictures are used somewhere else. This helps in detecting fake identities.
• See if they have a continuous online presence and community they can relate to.
• Pay attention to what kind of information they share with you.
• Ask very specific questions about their life and past. And if their answers are not consistent and their background stories don’t add, this is a catfishing scam.
• Insist on video calls so you can see their face, learn more about their personality and see where they reside.
• Never share your personal information with anyone online. Never Ever!
• Adjust your social media privacy to people whom you trust.
• Suppose you are making new connections online. always take time to know them better. Don’t rush into things. Catfishers are usually in a hurry so chances are, seeing your calm they will mess up sooner than you imagine.
• Never share your financial status with anyone.
• Don’t get emotionally invested in someone too soon.

What to Do If You Know It is Catfishing?

Ignorance is bliss but knowledge is power. As soon as you know you are being catfished, focus on your safety. Take time to process and then be quick.

• Analyze how much damage is done. What you have shared and how much it can be used against you.
• Immediately stop interacting with them or limit your interaction. Don’t share anything again that can be manipulated against you.
• If possible, block and report their profiles.
• Consult legal advice on what can be done.
• Keep a record of all your communication. Gather evidence.
• Try meeting them in public bars and clubs.
• Confide in someone so you can have emotional catharsis and advice.
• Never click on spam links or use non-reliable platforms to build personal connections.
• Ask cybersecurity for help.

In short, catfishing is done by a clever person of course but mostly, if you are a keen observer, you can spot them. They have a set pattern which will work. If you can detect that, you can save yourself from potential hurt and fraud.