Online dating can be a great way to meet new people, but it can also be used to trick people. This is called "catfishing." This is when someone falls for a fake online relationship, often to get money. Unfortunately, the internet's privacy can bring out the worst in people, so if you're looking for a partner online, you need to be careful. Here are some things to look out for if you think you're in a fake relationship.
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1. Excessive Similarity
Be careful if the person you're talking to seems to share all your likes and dislikes, especially if the fit seems too good to be true. Catfishers tend to copy your interests over and over again. Watch out for people who claim to love everything, from sports to geek culture, or whose musical tastes seem to cover every genre. Real people have their own tastes, and too much similarity could mean they have something to hide.
2. Long-Distance Travel Stories
Even though traveling a lot isn't necessarily a red flag, someone who is interested in you will try to meet you in person. If someone you met online says their job takes them to places where scams are common, like Africa, Russia, the Middle East, or South America, be careful. Before your relationship gets too far along, insist on meeting in person.
3. Rapid Escalation
Even though it might be nice to see a quick change in an online relationship, you should be careful. If your online date gets very serious in a very short amount of time, they might be a catfish.
4. They Ask for Money
This is the red flag that can't be missed. The main goal of a catfish is to get you to give them money. If someone asks you for money or wants to keep something valuable, like equipment, furniture, or a car, especially if they want you to send money to someone else, you've met a catfish. It's important to end the link right away. No one should ask for money from you early on in a relationship, especially if they haven't met you in person yet.
5. Not Enough Real Connections
Check out your social media accounts. They usually have your friends, coworkers, family, and classmates who you talk to often. Catfishers don't have real connections, and what they do on social media rarely matches what they say in real life. Be careful if their friends look like stock picture models.
Research as a Way to Check
To ease your worries, you could do a quick people search. Use Listing Locator to find their name, email address, or phone number. This will show their social media profiles, including any that haven't been made public, as well as their known addresses, marriage and divorce records, and any criminal past that hasn't been cleared up.
Most likely, a catfish will leave you with little to show for it, maybe a few social sites with fake friends. Why? Because they are not real people; they are trying to trick you by being catfish. Catfishing is a trap you can avoid if you listen to your gut, don't give out financial information, and check their public records just to be sure.
