Talk of the Towns: Don’t get ‘catfished’

HAVE you ever struck up a friendship with someone online, but then begun to have doubts that they are who they say they are?

Well, I have – on several occasions.

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There are millions of people around the world who build friendships or relationships with people that they’ve met via the internet, whether it be on social media platforms such as Instagram or Facebook, or dating apps like Tinder.

Sometimes, these people turn out to be nothing like they have portrayed themselves and hide behind fake profiles.

If this is the case, then you’re dealing with a “catfish”.

A catfish is someone who pretends to be someone they’re not, using social media to create false identities.

People create these fake profiles for their own personal gain, usually for their own amusement or to start an online romance with the aim of persuading you to give them money.

In order to determine whether you’re talking to a catfish, take note of the following:

• Photos: If their profile picture or selfies are model-like and seem too good to be true, they are probably photos pulled straight from the internet to make the catfish appear desirable.

• If they refuse to video call you, this is a red flag as it could very well be an excuse to hide their true identity.

• Friends and followers: If there are a very small number of friends or followers on their account, it is usually a sign of a fake account.

• Demanding money: Many catfish create fake profiles and build trust with people just to ask for money. Some will ask you to send money to them for transport to meet you… and they never show up. In most cases, a catfish will create a sad story to ask for money. The story usually involves a major illnesses such as cancer, or other traumatic life events so the person feels sorry for them. Be cautious of who you trust online.

• Excuses: If you ask to meet the person and they refuse time and time again then, much like a refusal to video call, they’re probably hiding the truth and not wanting their true identity to be revealed.

In my case, a man with a profile picture that looked like a modelling head shot gave me a sad story about how his mother was very ill and he needed money for her treatment. I soon realised that this was the same person talking to a friend of mine, but spinning her a different story.

He told my friend that his mother had died a long time ago and he needed money to look after his younger sister!

After confronting him about the lies and reporting the account, we searched his name on Facebook and discovered that he had been doing this to a number of other girls, one of whom had actually sent him money.

Should you come across a fake profile on Facebook or any other social media platform, there will be an option on your account to report the profile.

By reporting the account, you can save others from falling into the same trap.

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