[Netherrealmer]

Millions of people around this crazy world are lonely and alone. They are looking for a life partner and companion to be with in this sad world. Many people are are vulnerable emotionally because of their need of love so they resort to online dating. You can meet people in social networks, dating sites and dating apps. This made some some scammers take advantage of these people longing for companionship by pretending to be someone else. Here are some tips on how to avoid being deceived by some slimy and slippery cat fishes from the pond known as the internet.

1. Do not respond to those love letters you can get your emails and private messages from forums. They are not real, most likely there are bots with phising links wanted to steal your personal information. Many people lost their social media accounts, Identity,email address and even hard earned money because of trusting these love letters claiming to be a secret admirer. These people are not your secret admirers they just copy paste the same dialogue to many potential victims they want to scam with their modus operandi that somehow still working in this modern time. Do not click the link they are providing.

2. Many catfishes uses pictures of models. To make sure they are who they claim to be on their social media account, right click their picture then click search for google image. If you see multiple results and you see a profile of an actor or model. You just encountered a poser pretending to be someone else they are not. A lot of these catfishes uses European and Southeast Asian celebrities who doesnt have international following as their fake identity to scam people and manipulate them for everything that they wanted.

3.They refuse to facetime. Someone who refuses to video chat with Google hangouts,skype and Facebook messenger is not a timid person who is camera shy not a person who is poor enough to afford a camera. These people refuses to show themselves in motion because they are not the ones on their photographs. Whatever their excuse is, a person who refuses to video chat and use a webcam is a total impostor living as someone else they are not. There are also scammers who are men pretending to be women so they can get money from their victims. If they refuse to video chat nor receive a phone call, it is a scam.

4.If someone is asking you for money,That is 90% guaranteed to be a scamming catfish who wanted to suck your wallet dry. Many scammers uses images of attractive models and use that so they can get money from impressionable lonely people. A person you date online asking for monetary help is a dangerously manipulative scammer taking advantage of your emotional needs.

5. They refuse to meet up in person. A huge number of these scammers will never meet up with someone they met online because they are not the one on their profile.

6. They have no social media accounts and if they have, you wont see pictures of loved ones like friends and families on their photograph

7.Their inconsistent with their stories. Sometimes a catfish is a network of people. If they don't remember your last topic, It is not the person you talked with last time.

[cinderella]

Thank you for sharing this timely and informative post. Actually, I accept friend requests from people I don't know but I am taking all precautionary measures. I also tried tip in number 2 with the person on the uppermost left side of this article and I found out that he is a human.

[Netherrealmer]

I just read a news about a man who lost millions of dollars because of a catfish girlfriend,

[A K Rao]

I just read a news about a man who lost millions of dollars because of a catfish girlfriend,

This types of news have become common today! I too have read many such news in news papers and also watched on TV further know a couple of people who got prey to such catfish! Thanks for highlighting the factors to recognize these Catfish!

[Lushh]

Catfish Well it is too bad when people feel the need to carry on like this. I agree that these are signs someone is not being who they are claiming to be - no photos, no meet up, no face time, begging money. It's even worse when people get caught by them.

[senior1819]

Have you watched MTV's Catfish series?

[Netherrealmer]

Have you watched MTV's Catfish series?

Yes and I just saw a rich guy who gave all his life savings to his online "girlfriend"

[mrki444]

Catfish is very popular but little harder now since almost all social media accounts requires phone number. Catfish accounts are also often used for spreading fake news.

[cmoneyspinner]

This is good to know. I will tell my daughters. As for me, I'm the one who refuses facetime. I won't scare people away with my ugly mug!!

[Netherrealmer]

Catfishes are basically the romantic version of the Nigerian Prince who also scammed many people.

[mrki444]

Catfish is now popular in opening new social media for share fake news. More pictures you have posted on public, there is more chance to your data will be taken for catfishing. Combination of catfisihing and fake news is now big source of income for some people.

[Carson20t]

Very timely tips on this topic, internet scam does exist and you could lose alot of valuable resources or rather be blackmailed if you are not careful.Ensure that a person is traceable before trusting them completely.There are many ways to know if at all you are talking and transacting withba real person.Like bank wire,PayPal,airtm and some other ways.Also try to get a real image about a person.Conversations must also be consistent.

[Sincerem]

You really said it all, now I have understand what you mean by that slimmy, slippery catfishes. Their is lots of scammers up there, in the internet looking for who to scam out their laboured money. Thanks for posting about this here.

[ptrikha21]

Indeed. Scammers on Internet can allure someone especially females and might even try sexual assault.
It can be dangerous and in terms of money as well. So one has to be very careful.

[mrki444]

I saw a guy sells images of 100 girls (several images per girl) for fake profiles. Price was hidden but it was mark it raise every day.

[arunima]

That's a very informative article and a very apt one for the present scenario. Somewhere with the advent of the technology world has reduced to a global village. But then we have lost touch with the real world around us. We have millions of friends virtually but we are so lonely in real life and we become so emotionally vulnerable. Many fall prey to such scams and the stories of stalking and trolling have become so common these days. People have been pushed to take adverse steps by these stalkers. You are right that there are so many catfishes out there and many are in a network. It is easy for any one to fall prey to the trap they put. One needs to be aware and take all measures to stay away from falling prey and becoming another victim of such a scam.

[Netherrealmer]

When people became so lonely they lost their logic sometimes out of desperation because they wanted to be loved. Sad but true.Extreme loneliness can make people lost logic.

[Vehlijanta]

#3 and #4 are most useful and I always look at these things because 98% of my time I am online so I spend a lot of my daily time on social networking websites and always have instances when I see opposite sex attracting me and in a couple of days they share numbers and next thing is the sad story and asking for money and they never want to video call.

[mrki444]

Even facebook prevent downloading pictures from his sites (simple right click and download image won't work) there is still many ways how to get person image. Snipping Tool on Windows or power up + volume down(up) on Android will take screen shot of your image. Non website can't preven that. Some editing and iage for new profile is ready. People shoud posted images of deformed face to prevent cat fishing.

[nela13]

When people became so lonely they lost their logic sometimes out of desperation because they wanted to be loved. Sad but true.Extreme loneliness can make people lost logic.

In the catfish TV show we see that clearly. People are sad or have had a failure relationship recently and they want to believe that there is someone who really loves them. Sometimes I think they don't want to see but the signs are all there.