Catfishing

Not to be confused with Catfisting.
This article is about the online deception activity. For manipulation of a cat toy on a string, see Cat play and toys § Defining cat play.
Two people obscuring their faces with festive masks during a Carnival celebration.
Similarly to a traditional Carnival celebration involving attendees masking their faces, the Internet allows catfishers to mask their true identities.

Catfishing refers to the creation of a fictitious online persona, or fake identity (typically on social networking platforms), with the intent of deception,[1] usually to mislead a victim into an online romantic relationship or to commit financial fraud.[2] Perpetrators, usually referred to as catfish, generally use fake photos and lie about their personal lives to present themselves as more attractive for financial gain, personal satisfaction, evasion of legal consequences, or to troll.[citation needed] Public awareness surrounding catfishing has increased in recent years, partially attributed an increase in the occurrence of the practice combined with a number of high-profile instances.[3][4][5][6]

  1. ^ Chandler, Daniel; Rod Munday (March 2016). A Dictionary of Social Media (First ed.). Oxford: Oxford University Press. ISBN 978-0-19-180309-3. OCLC 952388585.
  2. ^ D'Costa, Krystal. "Catfishing: The Truth About Deception Online". Scientific American Blog Network. Retrieved 2024-01-07.
  3. ^ "I-Team: New data shows more young people are getting catfished - CBS Texas". www.cbsnews.com. 2022-12-16. Retrieved 2023-12-22.
  4. ^ "Where is Manti Te'o, NFL star and subject of Netflix's Untold, now?". South China Morning Post. 2022-08-25. Retrieved 2023-12-22.
  5. ^ "5 Celebrities Who Have Been Catfished". MTV. Retrieved 2023-12-22.
  6. ^ "Danielle Fishel Reveals She Was Catfished by Adult Man When She Was 12". Vanity Fair. 2022-08-23. Retrieved 2023-12-22.