Catfishing refers to the practice of creating a false online identity, usually with the intent to defraud or manipulate someone. The term was coined in the 2010 documentary film Catfish, which followed a man who discovered the woman he fell in love with online was not who she claimed to be.
Catfishers create elaborate fake profiles and life stories using stolen photos and information. Their goal is to deceive people into emotional relationships and trick them into sending money, gifts, or personal details. This content will explore some of the common things catfishers ask their victims for in order to perpetrate online fraud or manipulation.
Money
One of the most common things catfishers ask for is money. They will often make up elaborate stories and emergencies in order to trick their victims into sending them money. According to sources, “Catfishing is always about taking SOMETHING. Most times, it is money or something of value that can be traded or sold” (source).
Catfishers are masters at pulling on people’s heartstrings in order to get them to send money. They may claim they need money for bills, plane tickets to come visit, medical expenses, or any other made up emergency situation. Oftentimes the amounts start small, but increase over time as the catfisher builds trust with their victim. According to experts, common requests include “Someone asking for money in order to come and visit you because they live far away” (source).
The key thing to remember is that catfishers are manipulative liars. Any story they tell to pressure someone into sending money is likely completely fabricated. It’s important to be very wary of anyone online asking for money, especially if you have not met them in person.
Gift Cards
Gift cards like iTunes or Amazon cards are commonly requested by catfishers since they can easily be turned into cash (Source). Once the victim buys the gift card and provides the code to the scammer, the scammer can quickly redeem the card and obtain the cash value. This makes gift cards an attractive option for scammers looking to defraud victims out of money in a way that is difficult to trace or recover (Source).
Catfishers frequently make up stories to convince victims to buy them gift cards, such as claiming they need to pay a bill or fee to keep an account open. However, once the scammer redeems the gift card, the money is gone for good. Victims should be wary of anyone asking for gift cards, especially from a new online relationship, as it is a common sign of a scam (Source).
Login Credentials
One of the biggest dangers with catfishing is when the catfisher convinces the victim to share login credentials for email, social media, bank accounts, or other sensitive accounts. As this Reddit post explains, some catfishers may use elaborate phishing schemes to steal Steam account credentials by faking login pages:
“This is a very clever scam being used on various sites to steal your credentials when using the “Sign into website using your Steam account” function.” (Source)
Once a catfisher gains access to someone’s accounts, they can steal personal information, impersonate the victim, or even commit financial fraud. According to Avast, catfishers may ask for passwords under the guise of building trust in the relationship. However, sharing login details with a stranger online inevitably leads to identity theft or account hijacking.
Catfishing victims should be wary of requests for any login credentials, which will give scammers the keys to access private data and accounts. Sharing passwords with a catfisher provides them immense power to potentially ruin someone’s digital life.
Photos/Videos
Explicit photos and videos are often solicited under the guise of building trust or intimacy. Catfishers frequently ask for intimate photos, videos, or webcam chats before meeting in person, which is disrespectful and an obvious red flag according to Get Safe Online. They may claim they need sexual photos to “verify” your identity or prove you are real. However, once received, these images or videos can then be used to exploit, manipulate, or blackmail victims.
Catfishers scour platforms like Instagram, TikTok, and Facebook looking for photos and videos to steal for their fake profiles, as discussed on Reddit. They know images help build a sense of trust and legitimacy. If you suspect your photos are being used by a catfisher, report the profile and ask supporters to do the same.
Personal Details
One of the most common things catfishers will ask for is your personal details[1]. They want to gather information like your full name, date of birth, home address, workplace, details about your family members, and other sensitive information. Catfishers collect these personal details in order to build up an identity that seems more believable and real[2].
With enough personal information, a catfisher can easily pretend to be someone they’re not. They can use your details to create fake social media profiles, dating profiles, and more. Having specific details about your life and loved ones allows the catfisher to reference shared experiences or people you know, which makes their scam harder to detect. Providing any form of personal identification to a stranger online comes with huge risks in terms of identity theft and fraud.
If someone you met online asks for personal details beyond basic information, it should raise immediate red flags. A genuine person has no valid reason to need your home address, family details, or other sensitive information when first getting to know you. Refusing to provide these details can help protect against catfishing schemes that aim to steal your identity or enable other criminal activity.
Sources:
[1] https://www.avast.com/c-catfishing-signs
[2] https://www.ageuk.org.uk/information-advice/money-legal/scams-fraud/how-to-spot-a-catfish/
Companionship
Some catfishers simply seek friendship, romance, or emotional support from their victims. According to one Quora user, some catfishers pretend to be someone else because they don’t consider their real identity to be worthy of your friendship or love (Source). These catfishers create a fake persona in order to form meaningful connections and relationships. They may ask their victims for companionship and to talk or chat frequently as a source of validation. The catfisher fills an emotional need through their deceptive relationship without revealing their true identity.
Nothing
In some cases, the catfisher may not ask for anything besides attention and affection. As explained in a Reddit thread, catfishers sometimes engage in these deceptive relationships simply for the companionship, without making any monetary or material demands (https://www.reddit.com/r/catfish/comments/hqfr68/the_blue_tick_on_tinder_literally_means_nothing/). The catfisher pretends to be someone else in order to find love or friendship, not to extort money or items from the victim.
According to users on Reddit, some catfishers never ask for anything tangible from their victims. They are lonely individuals seeking human connection and are willing to create fake personas to find it. While deceitful, these catfishers are not necessarily seeking financial gain from their targets.
In these situations, the main thing the catfisher obtains from the sham relationship is emotional satisfaction from the feelings of closeness. While problematic in its dishonesty, this type of catfishing comes from a place of loneliness rather than greed.
Enabling Crime
While catfishing itself may not be illegal in many cases, personal details obtained via catfishing can enable other crimes like theft, stalking, or harassment1. Catfishers often manipulate their victims into sharing sensitive information that can then be used for identity theft or gaining access to their online accounts. Photos or videos obtained through deception can also be used to blackmail victims. There have been cases of catfishing leading to stalking, where the catfisher tracks down the victim in real life and harasses them based on details learned online2. The psychological manipulation involved in many catfishing scams can leave victims traumatized and vulnerable to further victimization.
Conclusion
Catfishers generally aim to gain a few key things from their victims through manipulation and deception. The most common goals tend to be money, gift cards, login credentials, personal photos/videos, and personal details. Catfishers may also seek companionship or emotional fulfillment from their victims by creating a fictitious relationship.
While some catfishers may not ask for anything tangible from their victims, the act of catfishing often enables other crimes. Catfishers gain victims’ trust in order to take advantage of them in some way, whether emotionally, financially, or even putting them at physical risk. The risks involved with interacting with a catfisher include identity theft, financial fraud, exploitation, and emotional trauma.
It’s important to be wary of anyone online who seems suspicious, asks for favors, or tries to isolate victims from friends and family. Protect personal information and never send money, login credentials, or compromising photos/videos to someone met online until their identity has been confirmed. Being informed about the dangers of catfishing can help internet users avoid becoming victims.