{"id":41971,"date":"2022-09-16T16:41:53","date_gmt":"2022-09-16T06:41:53","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.geeks2u.com.au\/?p=41971"},"modified":"2023-07-28T16:44:49","modified_gmt":"2023-07-28T06:44:49","slug":"how-to-prevent-catfishing","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.geeks2u.com.au\/geekspeak\/how-to-prevent-catfishing\/","title":{"rendered":"How to prevent catfishing"},"content":{"rendered":"\n<p>The online world is capable of connecting us at levels that were unimaginable just a few decades ago. Want to find that childhood friend, that old work colleague, that new job or even love online? It\u2019s entirely feasible, and millions of people do just that every day.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>However, wherever there\u2019s social activity, there\u2019s money to be made, and that means scammers come flocking, by way of catfishing.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>While it is about luring in in the unwary, this has little to do with sitting in boats trying to catch heavily whiskered water creatures. Instead, you\u2019re the prey, and the catfisher is trying to lure you in with a false identity.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<figure class=\"wp-block-embed is-type-video is-provider-youtube wp-block-embed-youtube wp-embed-aspect-16-9 wp-has-aspect-ratio\"><div class=\"wp-block-embed__wrapper\">\n<iframe loading=\"lazy\" title=\"Protect Yourself Against: Catfishing | Geeks2U Tech Support\" width=\"500\" height=\"281\" src=\"https:\/\/www.youtube.com\/embed\/ZMLY65TVZHc?feature=oembed\" frameborder=\"0\" allow=\"accelerometer; autoplay; clipboard-write; encrypted-media; gyroscope; picture-in-picture; web-share\" referrerpolicy=\"strict-origin-when-cross-origin\" allowfullscreen><\/iframe>\n<\/div><\/figure>\n\n\n\n<p><\/p>\n\n\n\n<h2 class=\"wp-block-heading\"><strong>What is catfishing?<\/strong><\/h2>\n\n\n\n<p>In the online sense, catfishing is most simply described as engaging with another person under some kind of false identity. It\u2019s often tied into romance scams, where someone pretends to be your perfect match in order to fool you into providing intimate photos or personal details for financial gain, although it\u2019s not exclusively to do with the pursuit of love.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>If you\u2019ve ever received one of those dodgy emails from a \u201cNigerian Prince\u201d claiming to want your help to move millions of dollars, that\u2019s catfishing too. It\u2019s not very subtle of course, because there\u2019s relatively little effort put into those scams. Just in case you didn\u2019t know, African princes aren\u2019t in the real-world habit of trying to sneak out billions just for you, and neither is Bill Gates. That scam has been around for decades now, but it still manages to lure in the unwary from time to time.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>More modern catfishing scams try to fill in further details to appear authentic, offering up what appear to be genuine details, common interests or goals as your own in order to gain your trust.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>Once you\u2019ve decided that you trust the catfisher, that\u2019s when they\u2019ll start asking for more personal details, possibly for money or intimate photos. Catfishing scams are usually long tail scams, because it can take serious time to gain trust online. Just because you\u2019ve been chatting online with your new \u201cfriend\u201d for months or in some cases years doesn\u2019t mean that they\u2019re on the level.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<div class=\"cta flex no-wrap align-center\">\n  <a href=\"tel:1300 769 448\" aria-label=\"Call Geeks2U\" class=\"button is-call tellink \">\n  <div class=\"icon phone\">\n    <svg width=\"2rem\" height=\"2rem\" viewBox=\"0 0 32 32\" xmlns=\"http:\/\/www.w3.org\/2000\/svg\" version=\"1.1\" preserveAspectRatio=\"xMinYMin\">\n      <path fill=\"currentColor\" d=\"M11.8,29.9c-0.1,0-0.1,0-0.2,0c-2.3-0.6-4.3-1.7-6-3.3c-1.7-1.6-2.8-3.6-3.5-5.8c-0.1-0.5,0.1-1,0.6-1.1\n      c0.5-0.1,1,0.1,1.1,0.6c0.5,1.9,1.5,3.6,3,5c1.5,1.4,3.2,2.4,5.2,2.9c0.5,0.1,0.8,0.6,0.7,1.1C12.6,29.6,12.2,29.9,11.8,29.9z\n      M12,26.4c-0.1,0-0.2,0-0.2,0c-1.4-0.4-2.7-1.1-3.7-2.1c-1-0.9-1.7-2.1-2.1-3.3c-0.2-0.5,0.1-1,0.6-1.1c0.5-0.2,1,0.1,1.1,0.6\n      c0.3,1,0.9,1.8,1.6,2.6c0.8,0.8,1.8,1.4,2.9,1.7c0.5,0.1,0.8,0.6,0.6,1.1C12.7,26.1,12.4,26.4,12,26.4z M25.2,13.6\n      c-0.4,0-0.7-0.3-0.9-0.6c-0.3-1.1-0.9-2-1.7-2.8c-0.8-0.7-1.7-1.3-2.7-1.6c-0.5-0.1-0.7-0.7-0.6-1.1c0.1-0.5,0.6-0.7,1.1-0.6\n      c1.3,0.4,2.4,1.1,3.4,2c1,1,1.8,2.2,2.2,3.6c0.1,0.5-0.1,1-0.6,1.1C25.3,13.6,25.3,13.6,25.2,13.6z M28.8,13.4\n      c-0.4,0-0.8-0.3-0.9-0.7c-0.5-1.9-1.5-3.6-3-5c-1.5-1.4-3.2-2.4-5.2-2.9c-0.5-0.1-0.8-0.6-0.6-1.1c0.1-0.5,0.6-0.8,1.1-0.6\n      c2.3,0.6,4.3,1.7,6,3.3c1.7,1.7,2.9,3.6,3.5,5.8c0.1,0.5-0.2,1-0.6,1.1C29,13.4,28.9,13.4,28.8,13.4z\"\/>\n      <path fill=\"#fff\" d=\"M23.3,25.5c-3.4,0-7.1-1.8-10.5-5.1c-2.6-2.5-5.6-6.5-5.2-11.1C7.7,8,9.2,6.1,10.9,5.7c1.9-0.5,3,0.8,3.4,1.3\n      c0.5,0.6,1.8,2.3,2.3,3.2c0.6,1.1,0.3,2.6-0.6,3.4c-0.2,0.2-0.3,0.5-0.3,0.8c0,0.3,0.1,0.5,0.3,0.7c0.8,0.7,1.1,1,1.2,1.1l1.1,1.1\n      c0.6,0.6,1.4,0.2,1.6,0c0.9-0.9,2.3-1.2,3.5-0.6c0.9,0.4,2.7,1.7,3.3,2.2c1.2,1,1.7,2.1,1.3,3.3c-0.5,1.6-2.5,3.2-3.8,3.3\n      C23.9,25.5,23.6,25.5,23.3,25.5z M11.7,7.4c-0.1,0-0.2,0-0.3,0c-0.9,0.2-2,1.6-2,2.1c-0.4,3.9,2.3,7.4,4.7,9.6\n      C16,21,19.8,24,24,23.7c0.5,0,1.9-1,2.2-2c0.1-0.4,0-0.8-0.7-1.4c-0.6-0.5-2.2-1.6-3-2c-0.5-0.2-1.1-0.1-1.4,0.2\n      c-1,1-2.9,1.3-4.2,0.1l-1.1-1.1c0,0,0,0,0,0c0,0-0.2-0.2-1.1-1c-0.6-0.5-0.9-1.2-0.9-2c0-0.8,0.3-1.6,0.9-2.1\n      c0.4-0.3,0.5-0.9,0.2-1.3c-0.3-0.7-1.5-2.2-2.1-2.9C12.5,7.6,12.1,7.4,11.7,7.4z\"\/>\n    <\/svg>\n  <\/div>\n  <span>1300 769 448<\/span><\/a><p> or complete our <button aria-label=\"Request a Callback\" class=\"bold red open-modal\">online enquiry<\/button> form today to set up an appointment with a computer repair technician<\/p>\n<\/div>\n\n\n\n<h2 class=\"wp-block-heading\"><strong>How much of a problem is catfishing?<\/strong><\/h2>\n\n\n\n<p>Catfishing is, sadly, quite lucrative for scammers. If you just look at romance scams, the ACCC\u2019s Scamwatch reports that Australians have lost at least $19,434,745 to romance scammers alone, and that\u2019s just based off the scams reported to them. It\u2019s highly likely, given the personal nature of those scams that many victims might be too embarrassed to report them in the first place.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>Unexpected money scams \u2013 like the Nigerian Prince scam mentioned above \u2013 also fall under catfishing a lot of the time, and Scamwatch reckons that\u2019s another $3,184,716 lost already this year.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>While it\u2019s comforting for your own ego to think that you\u2019d never be fooled that way, the reality is that this is something that happens to real people in Australia, all the time.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>That\u2019s why it\u2019s wise to be careful online, because it absolutely could happen to you.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<figure class=\"wp-block-image size-full\"><img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" width=\"1000\" height=\"469\" src=\"https:\/\/www.geeks2u.com.au\/wp-content\/uploads\/2022\/09\/Catfish-body-1.jpg\" alt=\"\" class=\"wp-image-41981\" srcset=\"https:\/\/www.geeks2u.com.au\/wp-content\/uploads\/2022\/09\/Catfish-body-1.jpg 1000w, https:\/\/www.geeks2u.com.au\/wp-content\/uploads\/2022\/09\/Catfish-body-1-300x141.jpg 300w, https:\/\/www.geeks2u.com.au\/wp-content\/uploads\/2022\/09\/Catfish-body-1-150x70.jpg 150w, https:\/\/www.geeks2u.com.au\/wp-content\/uploads\/2022\/09\/Catfish-body-1-600x281.jpg 600w, https:\/\/www.geeks2u.com.au\/wp-content\/uploads\/2022\/09\/Catfish-body-1-900x422.jpg 900w\" sizes=\"auto, (max-width: 1000px) 100vw, 1000px\" \/><\/figure>\n\n\n\n<p><\/p>\n\n\n\n<h2 class=\"wp-block-heading\"><strong>How can I protect myself from catfishing online? Is everyone fake?<\/strong><\/h2>\n\n\n\n<p>To answer the second question first, no. The Internet works because billions of people use it every day. It\u2019s absolutely possible to connect or reconnect with friends, loved ones and lovers in an online context.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>However, you do need to be careful when interacting with anyone \u201cnew\u201d online. It\u2019s even wise to apply some of this thinking with folks you think you know in the real world, although that\u2019s usually a case of an impersonation scam rather than catfishing.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<h2 class=\"wp-block-heading\"><strong>So, what can you do in a practical sense?<\/strong><\/h2>\n\n\n\n<p><strong>1<\/strong>. <strong>Be careful what you share online, and where<\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>Most catfishing victims report that social media is often where they first got contacted by their catfisher, who seemed to know a lot about them.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>That\u2019s often because there\u2019s a trend \u2013 and sometimes social pressure \u2013 to share everything from photos to personal updates across social media services. If your service of choice isn\u2019t carefully locked down for privacy, those are details that may be apparent to a wider range of folks than you realised.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p><strong>2. Go slow with new online friends<\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>It\u2019s great to meet new people and expand your social circle, for sure. But if your new friend suggests that they\u2019ve fallen madly in love with you after a short period of time, it\u2019s a solid red flag that they might be less than 100% honest. If it is true, there\u2019s plenty of time to let a relationship properly blossom \u2013 and for you to check and ensure that they\u2019re actually a real person all along.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p><strong>3. Beware the sob story<\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>The Nigerian Prince scam works because it appeals to base greed, but the reverse of it is your new \u201cfriend\u201d asking for money to deal with some kind of emergency. You don\u2019t want to be heartless with your close friend or potential romantic prospect, so you wire across the money\u2026 and you\u2019ve been scammed.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>This is not to say that you can never help people out if that\u2019s your style. It absolutely pays to do your research and check bona fides first. If your \u201cfriend\u201d asks for pictures of you but never provides their own \u201cbecause their camera is broken\u201d, that\u2019s an obvious red flag. Even if they do send you a picture, it\u2019s wise to run it through Google\u2019s reverse image search to see if it pops up elsewhere under a different name.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>Some catfishing types will be bold enough to use photos of major celebrities \u2013 because they\u2019re attractive people \u2013 hoping the victim won\u2019t notice. Is it really likely that Brad Pitt needs you to send him $500 because his car exhaust is broken?<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p><strong>4. Be very careful with picture requests<\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>In one sense, what consenting adults get up to in their own time and on their own devices is their own business, and that includes sending intimate pictures if that\u2019s what you\u2019re into.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>However, it becomes far more complex when you\u2019re talking about an online paramour, precisely because you\u2019re giving over a lot of trust around images that you absolutely do lose full control of once they\u2019re off your own phone. That\u2019s why it\u2019s absolutely paramount to ensure that whoever you\u2019re sending that kind of content to is who they say they are.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p><strong>5. Take screenshots<\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>It might feel a bit like snooping, but it\u2019s wise to keep a few records of any new online friends, especially if you\u2019re starting to have doubts about them.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>That\u2019s because most social media services, online dating platforms and other places where you might be catfished typically have reporting mechanisms for this kind of activity. If you report a potential catfisher, it may limit their access to operate on that platform, potentially saving others from heartbreak or financial ruin. The odds are very good that the same fake identity is being used across many people at once, because it raises the scammer\u2019s odds of making money along the way.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<h2 class=\"wp-block-heading\"><strong>More cyber security tips and tricks to help to keep you safe online:<\/strong><\/h2>\n\n\n\n<ul class=\"wp-block-list\"><li><a href=\"https:\/\/www.geeks2u.com.au\/geekspeak\/what-is-phishing\/\">How to avoid a phishing attack<\/a><\/li><li><a href=\"https:\/\/www.geeks2u.com.au\/geekspeak\/how-to-prevent-your-passwords-from-being-hacked\/\">How to prevent your passwords being hacked<\/a><\/li><li><a href=\"https:\/\/www.geeks2u.com.au\/geekspeak\/how-to-protect-yourself-against-malware\/\">How to protect yourself against viruses and malware<\/a><\/li><li><a href=\"https:\/\/www.geeks2u.com.au\/geekspeak\/how-to-protect-yourself-from-online-shopping-scams\/\">How to spot an online shopping scam<\/a><\/li><li><a href=\"https:\/\/www.geeks2u.com.au\/geekspeak\/how-can-you-avoid-identity-theft\/\">How to keep your identity safe online<\/a><\/li><\/ul>\n\n\n\n<p><strong>Ensure robust <a href=\"https:\/\/www.geeks2u.com.au\/small-business-digital-health-check\/\">cyber security for your small business<\/a> &#8211; safeguard sensitive data, mitigate risks, and protect your company&#8217;s reputation with our tailored solutions.<\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n<div class=\"cta flex no-wrap align-center\">\n  <a href=\"tel:1300 769 448\" aria-label=\"Call Geeks2U\" class=\"button is-call tellink \">\n  <div class=\"icon phone\">\n    <svg width=\"2rem\" height=\"2rem\" viewBox=\"0 0 32 32\" xmlns=\"http:\/\/www.w3.org\/2000\/svg\" version=\"1.1\" preserveAspectRatio=\"xMinYMin\">\n      <path fill=\"currentColor\" d=\"M11.8,29.9c-0.1,0-0.1,0-0.2,0c-2.3-0.6-4.3-1.7-6-3.3c-1.7-1.6-2.8-3.6-3.5-5.8c-0.1-0.5,0.1-1,0.6-1.1\n      c0.5-0.1,1,0.1,1.1,0.6c0.5,1.9,1.5,3.6,3,5c1.5,1.4,3.2,2.4,5.2,2.9c0.5,0.1,0.8,0.6,0.7,1.1C12.6,29.6,12.2,29.9,11.8,29.9z\n      M12,26.4c-0.1,0-0.2,0-0.2,0c-1.4-0.4-2.7-1.1-3.7-2.1c-1-0.9-1.7-2.1-2.1-3.3c-0.2-0.5,0.1-1,0.6-1.1c0.5-0.2,1,0.1,1.1,0.6\n      c0.3,1,0.9,1.8,1.6,2.6c0.8,0.8,1.8,1.4,2.9,1.7c0.5,0.1,0.8,0.6,0.6,1.1C12.7,26.1,12.4,26.4,12,26.4z M25.2,13.6\n      c-0.4,0-0.7-0.3-0.9-0.6c-0.3-1.1-0.9-2-1.7-2.8c-0.8-0.7-1.7-1.3-2.7-1.6c-0.5-0.1-0.7-0.7-0.6-1.1c0.1-0.5,0.6-0.7,1.1-0.6\n      c1.3,0.4,2.4,1.1,3.4,2c1,1,1.8,2.2,2.2,3.6c0.1,0.5-0.1,1-0.6,1.1C25.3,13.6,25.3,13.6,25.2,13.6z M28.8,13.4\n      c-0.4,0-0.8-0.3-0.9-0.7c-0.5-1.9-1.5-3.6-3-5c-1.5-1.4-3.2-2.4-5.2-2.9c-0.5-0.1-0.8-0.6-0.6-1.1c0.1-0.5,0.6-0.8,1.1-0.6\n      c2.3,0.6,4.3,1.7,6,3.3c1.7,1.7,2.9,3.6,3.5,5.8c0.1,0.5-0.2,1-0.6,1.1C29,13.4,28.9,13.4,28.8,13.4z\"\/>\n      <path fill=\"#fff\" d=\"M23.3,25.5c-3.4,0-7.1-1.8-10.5-5.1c-2.6-2.5-5.6-6.5-5.2-11.1C7.7,8,9.2,6.1,10.9,5.7c1.9-0.5,3,0.8,3.4,1.3\n      c0.5,0.6,1.8,2.3,2.3,3.2c0.6,1.1,0.3,2.6-0.6,3.4c-0.2,0.2-0.3,0.5-0.3,0.8c0,0.3,0.1,0.5,0.3,0.7c0.8,0.7,1.1,1,1.2,1.1l1.1,1.1\n      c0.6,0.6,1.4,0.2,1.6,0c0.9-0.9,2.3-1.2,3.5-0.6c0.9,0.4,2.7,1.7,3.3,2.2c1.2,1,1.7,2.1,1.3,3.3c-0.5,1.6-2.5,3.2-3.8,3.3\n      C23.9,25.5,23.6,25.5,23.3,25.5z M11.7,7.4c-0.1,0-0.2,0-0.3,0c-0.9,0.2-2,1.6-2,2.1c-0.4,3.9,2.3,7.4,4.7,9.6\n      C16,21,19.8,24,24,23.7c0.5,0,1.9-1,2.2-2c0.1-0.4,0-0.8-0.7-1.4c-0.6-0.5-2.2-1.6-3-2c-0.5-0.2-1.1-0.1-1.4,0.2\n      c-1,1-2.9,1.3-4.2,0.1l-1.1-1.1c0,0,0,0,0,0c0,0-0.2-0.2-1.1-1c-0.6-0.5-0.9-1.2-0.9-2c0-0.8,0.3-1.6,0.9-2.1\n      c0.4-0.3,0.5-0.9,0.2-1.3c-0.3-0.7-1.5-2.2-2.1-2.9C12.5,7.6,12.1,7.4,11.7,7.4z\"\/>\n    <\/svg>\n  <\/div>\n  <span>1300 769 448<\/span><\/a><p> or complete our <button aria-label=\"Request a Callback\" class=\"bold red open-modal\">online enquiry<\/button> form today to set up an appointment with a computer repair technician<\/p>\n<\/div>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"<p>The online world is capable of connecting us at levels that were unimaginable just a few decades ago. Want to find that childhood friend, that&#8230;<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":5,"featured_media":41973,"comment_status":"closed","ping_status":"closed","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"_acf_changed":false,"footnotes":""},"categories":[326],"tags":[245],"class_list":["post-41971","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","hentry","category-scams","tag-security"],"acf":[],"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.geeks2u.com.au\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/41971","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.geeks2u.com.au\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.geeks2u.com.au\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.geeks2u.com.au\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/5"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.geeks2u.com.au\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=41971"}],"version-history":[{"count":10,"href":"https:\/\/www.geeks2u.com.au\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/41971\/revisions"}],"predecessor-version":[{"id":44639,"href":"https:\/\/www.geeks2u.com.au\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/41971\/revisions\/44639"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.geeks2u.com.au\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media\/41973"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.geeks2u.com.au\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=41971"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.geeks2u.com.au\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=41971"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.geeks2u.com.au\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=41971"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}