{"id":9755,"date":"2020-11-28T09:00:04","date_gmt":"2020-11-28T17:00:04","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/socialcatfish.com\/blog\/?p=9755"},"modified":"2026-01-21T11:35:30","modified_gmt":"2026-01-21T19:35:30","slug":"cat-phishing-how-to-protect-yourself-from-catphish","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/socialcatfish.com\/scamfish\/cat-phishing-how-to-protect-yourself-from-catphish\/","title":{"rendered":"Cat-Phishing: How to Protect Yourself From Catphish"},"content":{"rendered":"

Imagine falling in love online, only to find out you\u2019re dating an imposter. If the concept isn\u2019t terrifying, it may not have happened to you\u2026 yet! The risks that most online users may encounter a catphish are very real. If you socialize or date online, beware! Catfish want your attention, so they can con their way to your wallet or even \u201cphish\u201d your information with fake redirects and links. This is what to look for to protect yourself. <\/span><\/p>\n

What is Catphishing?<\/b><\/h2>\n[aesop_image img=”https:\/\/socialcatfish.com\/scamfish\/wp-content\/uploads\/2020\/11\/Male-hands-using-smartphone-537860-scaled.jpg” panorama=”off” imgwidth=”100%” align=”center” lightbox=”off” captionsrc=”custom” captionposition=”center” revealfx=”off” overlay_revealfx=”off”]\n

Cat-phishing (also known as \u201ccatphishing\u201d or \u201ccatfishing\u201d) is when someone you\u2019ve met online is not whom they claim to be. This type of deceptive practice often originates from other countries like Nigeria. While romance scams and catphishing can also happen domestically, foreign scammers are often using trickery to get your money. It\u2019s not a pastime, it\u2019s their actual day job and they perpetuate the con through the use of <\/span>romance playbooks<\/span><\/a>, which tell fraudulent romance scammers what to say to win your heart and steal your wallet.<\/span><\/p>\n

<\/b>How to Protect Yourself from Catphish<\/b><\/h2>\n[aesop_image img=”https:\/\/socialcatfish.com\/scamfish\/wp-content\/uploads\/2020\/11\/Serious-notification-447967-scaled.jpg” panorama=”off” imgwidth=”100%” align=”center” lightbox=”off” captionsrc=”custom” captionposition=”center” revealfx=”off” overlay_revealfx=”off”]\n

Most victims don\u2019t realize they\u2019re being deceived until it\u2019s too late. This might mean that they\u2019ve let their connection with the catfish become the focal point of their life, given away their heart, or found out that the catphisher was a scammer who stole their money or financial identity. To protect yourself from this type of financially and emotionally devastating con, do the following.<\/span><\/p>\n\n

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  1. Seeing is Believing:<\/b> Decide that you will never give your heart or money to anyone you have not met in person and really taken time to get to know. Scammers can send fake, stolen photos or even alter the audio in stolen videos.<\/span> <\/li>\n
  2. Financial Data:<\/b> The moment someone you don\u2019t know in real life (or have met through the web) asks for your financial information and\/or a loan, consider this a major red flag. If you feel tempted to give them a loan, confide in someone you trust and do your research with a thorough <\/span>background check.<\/span><\/a><\/li>\n
  3. Drama:<\/strong> Catphish will always make excuses about why they can\u2019t video or phone chat. They will claim they are out of town, or location for work, or have other dramatic reasons they claim they can\u2019t meet. If they seem to keep you on an emotional rollercoaster, you\u2019re almost certainly dealing with a catphish!<\/span> <\/li>\n
  4. Cons:<\/strong> Catphish sometimes continue cons for months, if they expect a big payment. Other catphish only flirt or con you long enough to get you to click on an email link which will download malware on your device or <\/span>steal your information<\/span><\/a>, through a practice called phishing. Report these scams through the FTC.<\/a>\u00a0<\/span><\/li>\n<\/ol>\n

    Social Catfish is Here to Help You!<\/h2>\n

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