How To Spot A Catfish On The Internet
Catfish pretend to be someone that they're not .They create fake online accounts, and create a fake persona to intentionally deceive people,especially to pursue online romances
1) No/few Friends Or Followers
Check out their circle of friends and followers.Most catfish create fake profiles that are falsified to look real. It's a major red flag if they have a low friend count or no friends at all. Most people have established social media accounts with more than a few followers or friends. So check when they created their profile. If their Internet presence began just days before you met, that's a definite red flag.It's also a red flag if there's no friendly banter, or interaction on their posts with friends or family, and if they aren't tagged on anything by anyone.
2) Avoids Chatting On The phone
Some catfish pretend to be a member of the opposite sex, or lie about their age.They may be older or younger than they say they are .So they'll always find excuses not to talk on the phone to hide their true gender or age
3) Avoids Video Chatting
A catfish will do everything they can to avoid face-to -face- encounters,so they'll make excuses to avoid a video call in real time.They may arrange to video chat,but they'll bail out at the last minute.One of the fundamental ways to build trust online is video chatting in real time
4) Avoids Meeting Up In Person
Catfish generally prefer to chat to people who live really far away from them .This means they can use the time difference as an excuse when they're catfishing someone else.And it also means they have an excuse why they can't meet up with you in real life. If they do live close to you ,they''ll postpone requests for real life meetings. They'' ll make excuses as to why they can't meet up with you.For example; they don't have the money to travel, or they have a demanding job.
5) Fake Photos
Catfish either have very few photos on their social media,or they use photos from a random person's photo-heavy social media account, and pretend to be them. Most people have access to a camera phone these days, so not being able to show you a variety of selfies at different locations is a major red flag.If their social media only shows pictures of themselves, and there's no shots with friends or family ,it's highly likely they're a catfish .Most people regularly update their feed with photos of themselves with family & friends or of themselves in different locations ,when they're out and about in their daily life. Ask for photos,and be suspicious if they refuse to send any, or if they only send a few which are all very similar
6) They Always Seem To Need Help
Catfish are often in need of something. So be cautious of anyone who constantly complains about being financially hard-up.Catfish try to manipulate and guilt-trip people into sending them money , or to buy them gifts.
7) Too Serious, Too Soon
If they rush into love and commitment this may be a sign that they're not sincere.Love and trust takes time to build,and the odds of someone you’ve never met truly loving you after only texting online is highly unlikely.They claim they love you ,but yet they won’t even talk on the phone ,video chat in real time,meet up with you,or show you photos
8.) Their Stories Seem Far-Fetched Or Too Vague
Catfish prefer other people to do most of the talking to avoid being caught out in a lie,so ask specific questions,and "grill" them if you need to. It's a red flag if their answers seem extremely outlandish , vague or if they're evasive. Catfish generally tell elaborate made-up stories ,so if their stories don't add up ,they're probably lying to you
9) Listen To Your Intuition
If you have a strong gut feeling that the person you're talking to online isn't being totally honest, trust it. Your intuition is always right.If you feel like you're being catfished,you probably are
When you're intuition is roaring loud,follow it
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