Fake profiles, real people

The MTV series “Catfish” sparked a lot of curiosity and caution about the safety of online dating. The reality show is about people seeking a significant other online, but they turn out to be someone they are not and build an online relationship. It may seem hard to believe, but it happens more often as more people rely on online dating.  

If you do not have the time to go out and meet new people but don’t like the idea of online dating because of such scams, here are some ways you can figure out whether you are being catfished.

First, look at their profile picture. If the picture looks Photoshopped, too professional, has a picture of Jesus, or has no picture at all, that should be the first sign of that person being fake. If the person is hesitant to reveal their appearance or sends you a picture that looks like what was previously said, that is also a sign that you are being catfished. 

If that person only has two followers and they are following 5,000 people, it’s clear that it’s a fake profile. That does not mean that they are just unpopular. Look through the people they follow and the two people who follow that person and you will see that the people they follow are probably from different countries or just more scam profiles. 

If you asked to Facetime or Skype, plenty of times, and they are hesitant about it, you should start to experience this heavy feeling inside that something is not right. Another sign is if you ask to speak to them over the phone and they come up with excuses as to why they can’t. 

If you asked to meet up, the moment comes, and they do not show up and later make an insane excuse, it’s time for you to go home and re-think your life because you deserve better than to be scammed like that. 

Lastly, when you are trying to get to know the person, but their life story does not make sense, they are quite likely fake. If they say they were born and raised in France and then say something different later, you should be smart enough to catch that and realize the person is not real. 

When it comes to online dating, being cautious is necessary. There are people out there who are not OK in the head who don’t care how it would affect other people. Be aware of your surroundings, listen to the little voice inside your head telling you there is something wrong and protect yourself from getting catfished. There are plenty of fish in the sea, ready to be caught. Just try not to catch a catfish. 

Leave a Reply

Your email address will not be published. Required fields are marked *