Join us as we explore the most comprehensive data, pulled straight from the government\u2019s own F.B.I. files<\/a>. If you want to know if your state is most at risk and how to protect yourself, now is the time to find out.<\/p>\n Even as apps, websites, and users educate themselves about online fraud, being catfished happens to many more people than is reported.<\/a> Catfishing doesn\u2019t discriminate, and catfish can be found on almost any online platform<\/a>, including social media and dating sites, as well as interactive games.<\/p>\n Catfishing occurs when<\/a> someone creates a fake online persona and use it to establish a relationship with another individual(s). The person possessing a false identity is referred to as a \u201ccatfish\u201d.<\/a> Generally, catfish want to trick their victim(s) into believing a wrong set of personal details about them.<\/p>\n For example, a middle-aged catfish<\/a> might pretend to be a teenager, to lure an underage person into an inappropriate relationship. Other times, catfish<\/a> are lonely, alienated people who don\u2019t feel good about themselves. They might choose a fake persona that uses a model\u2019s or celebrity\u2019s (or another attractive person’s) photographs and pretends to live an extraordinary life.<\/p>\n Some catfishers<\/a> look to pull the wool over their victim\u2019s eyes and solicit cash or gifts, which is when the behavior becomes fraudulent. At other times, catfish are married and create fake online<\/a> identities so they can get an online date without being caught. Regardless of the specifics, catfish<\/a> are not who they claim to be.<\/p>\n Due to their comprehensive deceit through fake profiles, photographs, and stories, catfish have the power to damage their victim\u2019s ability to trust others.<\/a> While some victims see through the facade of a catfish quickly, others are roped into an online relationship that lasts months or even years!<\/p>\n Unfortunately, many catfish leap into something more sinister<\/a>, called romance scams. Not only do these criminals catfish their victims with a fake relationship, but they also trick them out of money. When catfish lie to get money and gifts, it is illegal.<\/p>\n Often catfish who are romance scammers<\/a> live outside of the United States in places like Nigeria. They might claim<\/a> to be stationed overseas or working on an oil rig when it\u2019s part of their scam (to give them an excuse as to why they can\u2019t meet), and you are not their only victim. They also ask for countless amounts of money<\/a>, not stopping until they have drained their victims’ bank accounts.<\/p>\n Are you wondering how your state ranked and if you\u2019re alone in worrying about romance scams<\/a> and catfish? While catfish are often after an emotional connection<\/a>, some catfish also want your cash. We have detailed below from the FBI’s IC3 2019 report<\/a>, most states with the highest (reported) victim count are topped by California (2,206),\u00a0Florida (1,363), Texas (1,287), and New York (931). You can find your state below:<\/p>\nWhat is Catfishing?<\/h2>\n[aesop_image img=”https:\/\/socialcatfish.com\/scamfish\/wp-content\/uploads\/2019\/02\/My-Post-4-4.jpg” panorama=”off” imgwidth=”100%” align=”center” lightbox=”off” captionsrc=”custom” captionposition=”left” revealfx=”off” overlay_revealfx=”off”]\n
Catfishing Statistics: A State by State Comparison of Catfish Victims<\/h2>\n