Multiple Faces Detected
September 27th, 2022
In the modern age, the entire world is opened up to you. You can communicate and interact with anyone anywhere in the world. This great development in human history comes with a downside, however. The problem is, it’s very difficult to tell whether or not the person you’re talking to online is real.
Catfishing scams were responsible for $547 million in stolen money in 2021 alone. And that’s just in America! So it’s safe to say that catfishing is no joke. But that raises the all-important question, what do you do if you’re talking to a catfish? How do you outsmart a catfish scammer? We will cover all this and more in this article, so let’s jump into it.
Perform an Online Search
Whether you suspect something suspicious or not, it never hurts to do some digging online before meeting someone in person. With any information you have (email, phone number, name, location, etc) perform a search and see what you find. There are various platforms you can use to look someone up. While you may not discover much, you can at least verify the name associated with an email or a phone number.
You can also learn a lot by examining the “catfishers” profile. Does something not add up? Does it seem too good to be true? Catfishers often use fake profile pictures which do not look realistic. As for their interests, they may leave them very broad to attract more people to chat with. If it seems too good to be true, it might be.
Never Send Information or Photos
Until you know someone, avoid sending them any personal information or photos. If you suspect you’re being catfished, immediately block the person from any social media accounts to protect your privacy. If they’re asking for money, chances are they are scamming you. Never send anyone money! Stop contact immediately at the first signs of any suspicious activity.
Filing a Police Report
In addition, you may file a police report if you suspect a Catfish. This can help protect you and prevent others from being scammed. Police may be able to use special tools to track scammers down (in some cases). Cyber crimes are serious and on the rise. You can contact the Internet Crime Complaint Center to report fraud or cybercrimes. On Facebook or Instagram, some settings allow you to flag or report suspected fake accounts and spam.
If you suspect a catfish on a dating app, report the account immediately. Reporting is an important step to help protect yourself and others from potential crimes.
Talk Before Meeting in Person
Use technology to your advantage. If someone is not willing to chat on the phone or via FaceTime, this is a major red flag. If they claim they do not have the technology to video chat, that is probably not true. (after all, they’re on the web!)
When meeting someone for a date or meetup, always meet in a reputable public place. This can help protect your safety if something goes wrong. However, don’t rush to meet up in person right away. Give it some time to get a feel for the situation. In addition, if someone refuses to meet in person or acts “busy” all the time, this may be a red flag. They may not want to meet in person because they’re not who they say they are.
Grammar and Language
While they may have broken English, be vary of poor grammar. If they claim to live in the U.S. but are speaking in choppy sentences, this may be a scammer. Scammers often start conversations by asking too many questions (which may not logically flow in the conversation).
Outsmart a Catfish
With these tips in mind, you’re prepared to identify and outsmart a catfish online. In this day in age, many people successfully meet friends and relationship partners online through various dating platforms. However, exercising caution is important when chatting with new people online. Protect your safety by keeping these red flags in mind as you navigate social platforms.
