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a catfishing dating

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I remember the first time someone told me about catfishing, and I just did not understand why somebody would do that or how it would work. “Won’t the person discover the truth when they finally meet in person?” I asked, and “Well, can’t people tell when the person they’re talking to looks so perfect they can’t be real?” I was so silly and naïve. My friend had to explain to me that, many catfish never have any intention of ever meeting the people they talk to online—they just get them invested, so they can slowly start asking for money or other gifts, and then they disappear. And, as for the people being catfished who don’t pick up on the fact that the catfish’s photos are highly photoshopped and unrealistic, well, when people are lonely and desperate, they see what they want to see.

 

So, now that we’ve quickly gone over some of the reasons catfishing happens and the goals of catfishing, it’s easy to see how there may be an uptick of it during this pandemic, when people are lonely and losing their jobs.

 

With all of the time we’re spending online right now, we’re just making ourselves more vulnerable to all of the scams that take place in cyberspace. And keep in mind that people are primarily online dating right now, as that’s all they’re allowed to do, so most new interactions are happening via direct messages or online chats, texts, calls, and emails. The last thing anyone needs right now is to be duped (more than the news may already be duping us), but here are reasons catfishing may increase during the coronavirus pandemic.

via GIPHY

Financial need

Sadly, we know that there is a tremendous amount of financial need, as a result of the COVID-19 economic shutdown. With many waiting weeks or months to get an unemployment check, and some not even qualifying, a lot of individuals are looking for fast methods of making cash. It likely won’t be through a job, since those are slim right now, so catfishing someone into sending direct deposits is one way.

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