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Along Life’s Way
Catfish Online
By Lois E. Wilson
In the world of social networking and online dating, a “catfish” is a
person who creates a false identity. It is an act of deceit.
If you watch “Catfish: The TV Show,” you will see various victims of
the deceptions. The catfish perpetrators are male or female, or one sex
posing as the other. Their victims can be from pre-teens to senior
citizens.
The catfish may have started their deceptions with innocent intent as a
dare or prank directed toward someone known to them. They could have
planned to do their catfishing only a day or so, but in some cases it
goes on for years.
They may be lonely or looking for approval and love, may have been
bullied, have low self esteem, or a poor body image. They have a fear
of rejection. So when they find someone online with whom to exchange
pictures (often of another person), share problems and events in their
lives—someone who listens and is concerned about them, they often
become obsessed and do not stop the sham.
Some catfish have more sinister motives. They may have created the
false online person or persons for revenge purposes, to defraud, to
gain the confidence of their victims for monetary gain, or to steal the
victims’ personal information and identities
The victims are usually vulnerable. They may be experiencing crises in
their lives. The person they are interacting with over the internet
fulfills a need. It is positive reinforcement, an affirmation to them.
They have a caring new friend. If the pretense grows into stated love
between the catfish and victim, the catfish may claim a need for money
and request that the victim loan it to them. They plan to marry; the
victim wants to meet the catfish in person. But the catfish (who may
already be married) always comes up with an excuse or emergency, and
their meeting never happens.
Eventually, the victims become suspicious; they begin to sense that
something is not quite right with their online relationship. The
“Catfish” TV show’s hosts accept possible victim cases and investigate
the people with whom their clients have been interacting. They soon
determine if it is someone catfishing or an authentic situation.
The best defense is not to let you or your children become involved
with someone you do not know. Also, catfish can be people you do know;
monitor your family’s activities with others. It is easier to prevent
such involvements from getting started than to try to repair emotional
and financial damages after they have occurred. Be wary! You do not
want to be caught by the hook of a catfish.
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