Catfish Scams: What You Need to Know

Is the person you’re chatting with truly who they say they are?

You’re trying to get to know a Filipina through chat. You check her profile. It’s slightly fishy. Her bio barely has anything other than links leading to sketchy websites hosted in a third-world country.

Unfortunately, you’ve stumbled onto one of many catfish scams on the Internet. Often, such romance scams are easy to spot and avoid. However, others, not so much.

In 2020 alone, the Federal Trade Commission (FTC) reported that 70,000 Americans fell victim to fraudsters posing as love interests (Stouffer 2024).

Why is this?

Why Catfish Scams Happen

Some people are optimistic that the hot 20-year-old who randomly messaged them is genuinely interested in a relationship. However, the sad reality is that their only goal is profit.

People catfish others for money or information they can sell.

Globally, catfishing costs hit $600 million in 2020, a 26% increase from the previous year (Wise 2024). Indeed, it’s a thriving industry.

Other times, people do it for the fun of it. Tricking someone online amuses them. Meanwhile, some people engage in catfish dating scams out of malice. They want to bully someone but don’t want to suffer the consequences, so they do it anonymously by obfuscating their identities.

Now, can you imprison someone for catfishing? Theoretically, yes. But catfishing is often only a precursor to illegal activities. It’s not illegal in and of itself.

Also, the thing about online scams is that they’re often untraceable. The scammers either use software to mask their location or cease all contact once they feel they’ve gained profit or suspect their target is starting to get wise to them.

How to Identify a Catfish

But what if a scam isn’t obvious? What other signs can someone look out for to avoid engaging in a catfish scam?

1. No Mutual Connections

Where are you most likely to encounter scammers?

You may get a scam email, text message, phone call, or letter. However, you’re more likely to encounter scammers online, specifically on social media and dating sites.

Take Facebook as an example. Statistics show that the platform has about 3 billion users. However, 86 million of those are fake accounts (Daniels 2024). It’s not surprising that catfish scams on Facebook are common.

So if someone on social media reaches out to you and you have no mutual connections or overlapping school or work histories, they’re probably looking to scam you.

2. Unrealistic Photos

It can be harder to spot a catfish on dating apps or sites. They’ll often use photos from someone else’s social media to make their profile look legitimate.

Some scammers may even use photos of people they know in real life, making it easier to lure people.

Catfishers may also use professional photos taken from a catalog or computer-generated images.

However, catfish scammer photos aren't the only dead giveaway. As mentioned in the example scenario in the introduction, multiple links leading to sketchy websites are a sure sign that they’re scammers.

3. Love at First Sight

Another sign that someone is a scammer is how quickly they fall for you. Two people who just met might instantly know they’re meant to be with each other, but such situations are rarer than a lightning strike. So, if someone on a dating app declares their everlasting love for you and you’ve only just met, it’s probably a catfish scam.

Romance scammers often shower their targets with affection to get them to fall and lower their guard.

4. Inconsistency

There are a few questions you can ask to probe them and ensure they’re who they say they are. Avoid engaging further in a catfish dating scam by asking your match about their family background, education, and work history.

If there are any inconsistencies, that’s a sign that they’re a scammer.

5. The Money Request

Now, what’s the most obvious sign that someone’s a scammer? If they ask for money.

They’ll often have a sob story. According to a 2022 survey, the number one lie romance scammers use as bait is that someone close to them is sick, hurt, or in jail (Liu and Fletcher 2023).

But they can also deceive you with other stories, like how their family is about to lose their home or their best friend’s dog needs to be neutered. It doesn’t matter the story or how convincingly they tell it; don’t send them any money. The story is likely fake and you’ll never get your money back.

6. “Harmless” Information

Money isn’t a scammer’s only goal. Sometimes, they’ll also want personal information. It’s not just bank account numbers and passwords, either. They want seemingly mundane and harmless information, like your phone numbers and email addresses.

Why? To sell it to telemarketers.

It’s best to keep personal information close to your chest. Also, keep your communication within the platform until you have verified their identity.

How to Stay Away from Catfish Scams

It’s good to know the signs and examples of catfishing. However, you should also learn how to avoid meeting scammers.

Have a safe experience when dating Filipinas online by following these steps:

1. Stay Alert

Well, the best way is to look for the signs listed above. Otherwise, scammers can sneak up on you and trick you.

2. Don’t Wander off the Beaten Path

Use reputable dating sites. Indeed, some catfish may make it onto these sites, but they’re still a marginally better option than some dating sites that no one’s ever heard of.

If possible, try to stick to a dating app or site with a high barrier of entry. Most dating apps have robust protections against scammers but only require a smartphone and the Internet to create a profile. A matchmaking site, on the other hand, may sometimes require in-person verification to create a profile.

Dealing With a Catfish

Now, what if they sneak up on you? What if you only later realize that they’re not who they say they are? What should you do when caught up in a catfish scam?

1. Be Sure Before Anything Else

First and foremost, make sure that you’re right. Do a background check on your match. Search for their name on social media platforms. You don’t want to end what could have been a great relationship just because you made a mistake. Verify their identity if you think they’re not who they say they are.

2. Ghost and Report

Once you’ve verified they're a catfish, cease all communication. Block them and try to forget about their existence.

After that, report their profile to the site’s administrators so they can remove it. Doing so saves the next person they were going to target. It also helps train administrators and whatever algorithms the site or app uses to better identify spam profiles.

Be Wise Against A Catfish

Catfish scams aren’t going to go away. So long as people are allowed to be anonymous online, people will keep using false identities to line their own pockets. The best thing you can do is to stay alert, watch out for signs, and act appropriately when you run into a catfish.