Catfishing Explained

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] such as the pig butchering scam. 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. They often love bomb the victim, but refuse to have video call or talk on the phone so that they cannot be verified, their IP address does not match the city of their supposed location, refuse or repeatedly postpone meeting in person, have inconsistencies with name, pictures, or information appearing on their profiles, or request money while isolating victims from real-life social circles by insisting the relationship remain a secret. Public awareness surrounding catfishing has increased in recent years, partially attributed to an increase in the occurrence of the practice combined with a number of high-profile instances.[3] [4] [5] [6]

Etymology

The term was introduced with the release of the 2010 American documentary film Catfish, following executive producer Nev Schulman, himself a victim of catfishing. Schulman had developed an online friendship with a 40-year-old housewife mainly presenting herself as an 18-year-old girl from the Midwestern United States. In the documentary, the woman's husband compares her behavior to that of a catfish being shipped with live cod.[7]

This urban legend originated from Essays in Rebellion (1913) by Henry Nevinson and The Catfish (1913) by Charles Marriott and refers to the practice of placing a catfish in a tank full of cod for the purposes of shipping. The impostor, or catfish, is said to prevent the cod from becoming pale and lethargic, ensuring the delivery of a high-quality product.[8] [9] [10] , airing on MTV since 2012, follows Schulman as he helps others investigate possible catfish situations.[11]

The term spiked in popularity in 2013 after University of Notre Dame football star Manti Te'o was publicly catfished.[12] The 2013 court case Zimmerman v. Board of Trustees of Ball State University saw the first legal use of the term catfishing, with the judge using the Urban Dictionary definition.[13]

Catfish was added to the eleventh edition of the Merriam-Webster Collegiate Dictionary in 2014.[14] An associate editor at Merriam-Webster noted that the word was "such a sensation from the moment that it came on the scene," attributing its popularity to both Schulman's documentary and the Manti Te'o story.[15]

Practice and sociology

Catfishing is often employed on dating websites, social media, and email[16] by perpetrators to disassociate from their real-life identities and shield themselves from moral obligations or responsibilities. Motivations for catfishing are typically malevolent and may include sexual, financial, or social gain.[17] The practice is often attributed to the online disinhibition effect.[18] Typically, the catfish uses someone else's photos and personal details to make themselves appear genuine, while the individual whose identity is being exploited is unaware that their information is being used.[19]

In certain cases, catfishing is used as a means for individuals to explore and express their gender and sexual identity, particularly in online environments conducive to anonymity. Commonly, perpetrators will portray themselves as the opposite gender on social media and dating apps to interact with unsuspecting individuals.[20]

Perpetrators of catfishing are often seeking financial gain. In 2015, three girls managed to steal $3,300 from the Islamic State after being approached by a recruitment officer to join the terrorist organization. After receiving money for supposed travel to Syria, the girls deleted their account and kept the money for personal travel.[21]

Catfishing has also been used as a tactic to stop criminal activity. In 2004, Dateline NBC produced the segment To Catch a Predator, documenting undercover officers using fake online profiles to lure potential sexual predators into spaces where meetings with supposed minors had been arranged.[22]

Catfishing can also be used as a tactic to cyberbully, troll, or attack individuals online while working under a false identity, making the harassment difficult to trace.[23]

Signs

While catfishing can take many forms, some common behaviors and characteristics have been defined:

Dangers

Catfishing can lead to serious potential dangers. In some cases, catfish have lured victims into threatening in-person meetings, such as in the 2002 murder of Kacie Woody and the 2007 murder of Carly Ryan. Sexual predators utilize catfishing to gain the trust of minors and/or other vulnerable people to acquire sensitive information and illicit photographs.[26] Catfishing has also been linked to a number of suicides, such as the 2006 suicide of Megan Meier.[27]

Chatfishing

See main article: Chatfishing. Chatfishing is the use of synthetic texts, often output from generative artificial intelligence, to drive interaction online, especially on dating apps.[28] [29] [30] [31] [32]

Notes and References

  1. Book: Chandler . Daniel . A Dictionary of Social Media . Rod Munday . March 2016 . Oxford University Press . 978-0-19-180309-3 . First . Oxford . 952388585.
  2. News: D'Costa . Krystal . Catfishing: The Truth About Deception Online . 2024-01-07 . Scientific American Blog Network . en.
  3. Web site: 2022-12-16 . I-Team: New data shows more young people are getting catfished - CBS Texas . 2023-12-22 . www.cbsnews.com . en-US.
  4. Web site: 2022-08-25 . Where is Manti Te'o, NFL star and subject of Netflix's Untold, now? . 2023-12-22 . South China Morning Post . en.
  5. Web site: 5 Celebrities Who Have Been Catfished . 2023-12-22 . MTV . en.
  6. 2022-08-23 . Danielle Fishel Reveals She Was Catfished by Adult Man When She Was 12 . 2023-12-22 . Vanity Fair . en-US.
  7. Web site: Hill . Kashmir . The Manti Te'o Hoax Means Everyone Now Knows What A 'Catfish' Is . 2013-01-22 . 2024-10-20 . live . January 24, 2013 . https://web.archive.org/web/20130124084947/https://www.forbes.com/sites/kashmirhill/2013/01/22/the-manti-teo-hoax-means-everyone-now-knows-what-a-catfish-is/ . Forbes . en.
  8. News: McCarthy . Ellen . What is catfishing? A brief (and sordid) history. . en-US . Washington Post . 2020-11-11 . 0190-8286.
  9. Web site: Harris . Aisha . January 18, 2013 . Catfish meaning and definition: term for online hoaxes has a surprisingly long history . 2015-09-23 . Slate.
  10. Web site: November 26, 2012 . Why is MTV's 'Catfish' TV show called Catfish? . 2015-09-23 . starcasm.net.
  11. Web site: Martin . Denise . Here's How MTV's Catfish Actually Works . 6 April 2018 . Vulture. 21 May 2014 .
  12. News: Zimmer . Ben . January 27, 2013 . Catfish: How Manti Te'o's imaginary romance got its name . . 2015-09-23.
  13. Smith . Lauren Reichart . Smith . Kenny D. . Blazka . Matthew . 31 January 2017 . Follow Me, What's the Harm? Considerations of Catfishing and Utilizing Fake Online Personas on Social Media . Journal of Legal Aspects of Sport . 27 . 1 . 36 . 10.1123/jlas.2016-0020. free .
  14. Web site: Merriam-Webster's New Words for 2014 . Merriam-Webster Online . Merriam-Webster . 3 January 2024 . https://web.archive.org/web/20140520032414/http://www.merriam-webster.com/new-words/2014-update.htm . 20 May 2014 . May 19, 2014.
  15. Web site: Cosman . Ben . Merriam-Webster Tells Us Why 'Catfish' and 'Yooper' Just Entered the Dictionary Together . The Wire . The Atlantic . 3 January 2024 . en . 19 May 2014.
  16. Web site: Australian Competition and Consumer Commission . 2015-05-14 . Dating & romance . 2020-11-11 . Scamwatch . en.
  17. Web site: Vanman . Eric . Eric Vanman . 25 July 2018 . It's not about money: we asked catfish why they trick people online . 17 December 2023 . The Conversation.
  18. Web site: The Psychology of Cyberspace – Home Page/Table of Contents . https://web.archive.org/web/20130619044045/http://truecenterpublishing.com/psycyber/psycyber.html . usurped . June 19, 2013 . 2020-11-25 . truecenterpublishing.com.
  19. Web site: Lohmann . Raychelle . The Two-Sided Face of Teen Catfishing . 6 April 2018 . Psychology Today.
  20. Book: Slade . Alison F. . Reality Television: Oddities of Culture . Narro . Amber J. . Buchanan . Burton P. . 2014 . Lexington Books . 978-0-7391-8564-3 . 237–244 . amp.
  21. News: 2015-07-30 . Young women 'catfished' ISIS out of $3,300. Will they be punished? . Christian Science Monitor . 2021-11-03 . 0882-7729.
  22. Web site: "To Catch A Predator" - Chris Hansen - NBC Dateline · Undercover Reporting . 2024-10-20 . undercover.hosting.nyu.edu.
  23. Olckers . Christine . Hattingh . Marie . 2022 . The Dark Side of Social Media - Cyberbullying, Catfishing and Trolling: A Systematic Literature Review . en . 86–71 . 10.29007/qhl5 . 2398-7340 . free . Proceedings of the Society 5.0 Conference 2022 - Integrating Digital World and Real World to Resolve Challenges in Business and Society. 2263/91093 . free .
  24. Web site: Corcione . Adryan . 2017-09-17 . Catfished Meaning: 14 Signs You're Getting Catfished Online . 2024-06-11 . Teen Vogue . en-US.
  25. Web site: How to spot a catfish – catfish meaning and advice . 2023-09-18 . Age UK . en-GB.
  26. Web site: Lohmann . Raychelle . The Two-Sided Face 67 of Teen Catfishing . 29 March 2018 . Psychology Today.
  27. Web site: Patchin . Justin W. . 2013-02-07 . Catfishing as a Form of Cyberbullying . 29 March 2018 . Cyberbullying Research Center.
  28. News: Jones . Alexandra . 'I realised I'd been ChatGPT-ed into bed': how 'Chatfishing' made finding love on dating apps even weirder . 15 October 2025 . The Guardian . 12 October 2025.
  29. News: Wilkins . Joe . ChatGPT Is Giving Men Such Bad Advice on Dating That It May Actually Be Trying to Keep Them Single . 15 October 2025 . Futurism . 14 October 2025.
  30. News: Manta . Irina . More on "Chatfishing" on Dating Apps and in Texting . Reason.com . 14 October 2025.
  31. News: 'It's revolting': More Young Republican chat members out of jobs as condemnation intensifies . 15 October 2025 . POLITICO . 14 October 2025 . en.
  32. News: Chat-fishing: When online banter turns into real-life awkwardness . 15 October 2025 . Metro . 2 December 2022 . en.

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