What Can You Do about Catfishing

What is catfishing? It is the process of creating a fake online identity to build an amazing romantic relationship and con someone out of money. Maybe you are clear about catfishing, and can’t be a victim. But it is not easy for children without much experience to distinguish hidden dangers. They could very easily become a victim of catfishing. What’s worse, predators catfish teens to harm or abduct them.

To help children keep away from catfishing, parents should guide children learn about 8 signs of being catfished and maintain vigilance. Teens spends much time on social media for sharing, such as Instagram, Tinder, Open Chat Apps. Predators like to use these apps for catfishing. Thus a parental control app is necessary for parents to ensure children’s safety. Like SpyX. It stands out with great monitoring features, such as tracking text messages, GPS locations, view calls and emails, read reminders, notes, etc.

Part 1. What Does It Mean to be “Catfished”?

Catfishing means hiding something about yourself in an online environment, often by creating an elaborate online identity, is intended to impress others, especially in order to attract someone into a romantic relationship. If children are catfished, they may face the risk of building fake relationship, cheating on money or feelings.

Part 2. How to Protect Your Kids from Being Catfished?

Spend more time with your friends rather than play mobile phones. Accompany can make your children feel loved. What’s more, tell your children the dangers of catfishing. People on the internet may be not the same as they show . Don’t easily trust what strangers say or keep your personal information on your social media platform.

But it is not enough to tell the truth, because catfishing roots in internet, mobile , apps. So it is necessary choose a parental control app, such as SpyX. As a great phone tracker, SpyX has powerful tracking features, such as track text messages, phone calls, notes, etc. Thus parents can see who children chat with recently and what they talk about. For any unusual signs, parents can prevent the children in time. It’s better to be safe than sorry.

Step 1. Create free account with valid email.

Step 2. Purchase suitable plan.

Step 3. Connect target phone with SpyX, no need to install app.

Step 4. Login to Control Dashboard and monitor your kid's phone remotely.

Part 3. Top Catfishing Apps Used by Scammers

Scammers and predators like to lurk on social media for target. Here are top three social media app for attention. If you’re worried abut your teen becoming a catfishing victim, you should know about the social media that your children use frequently.

1. Instagram

Instagram is designed for people to share pictures. If teens share too many private photos on Instagram, she/he easily becomes the target of predators.

Related: Set up instagram Parental Control

2. Tinder

Most people use Tinder to chat explicit content. This is not good for teenagers. So parents should be alert when find Tinder on children’s iPhone.

3. Open Chat Apps

Most chat apps can be classified as catfishing apps. Parents ought to be particularly worried about applications where teenagers are urged to draw in with outsiders who have comparative interests. These outsiders probably won't be who they say they are.

Part 4. Teens and Catfishing Online

Teens are susceptible to catfish scams, because they are active and open on social media. Young teens like sharing information on social media, make new friends and Keep up with the hot trend. Which kind of teens are the main target of predators? Some teenagers are introverted, withdrawn and without friends, but they desperately desire love and want to make boyfriends / girlfriends, so they are willing to spend a lot of time chatting with others on social media to find their presence, such teenagers are easy to be cheated. Because lacking social experience and ability to distinguish right from wrong, teenagers are easily targeted by predators.

Part 5. 8 Signs You Are Being Catfished

To protect teens from being catfished, the first step is to make them know the signs of being catfished. You will never imagine that teens can trust some through chatting online without meeting. They even share private information with strangers, such as credit card, hoe address, naked photo. So if you are wondering how to tell if someone is catfishing you or your teen, the following signs and tips maybe useful.

Sign 1. The relationship progresses a little quickly.

Pay attention to the person that you only chat online without meeting but said a lot of sweet words to express his love for you to win your trust, and then borrow money, even ask you for personal photos. If strangers invite you to meet offline, remember to pick a public place on day to ensure your safety.

Sign 2. They don’t want to show their face.

They only want to contact with you through text messages. Someone is shy at first, but if he still refuses to meet up or have a video chatting, you should be alert. For normal person who wants to develop a friendship, it’s natural to meet in the public.

Sign 3. They don’t have a lot of followers or friends on social media apps.

Some people don’t have many followers or friends on social media apps or interact with others. Why? Are they don’t like social media? No, they are not real-person. What they show to you is fake.

Sign 4. They ask for money.

What will you do if a stranger asks you to lend them some money? Don’t believe them whatever the reasons are. Don’t be received by their lies, you must be rational at this time. They just use your kindness and innocence to cheat your money.

Sign 5. They seem too good to be true.

They are gentle and patient, listen to all your troubles, and give you some little advice, they seem to know you better than your parents.Yes, you have to be vigilant against this gentleness, because you are likely to relax your guard and be deceived. When these strangers win your trust, they will start taking real action, such as getting your personal information or asking for money.

Sign 6. They seem to have a lot of time to visit so many places.

They like to share daily wok and life with you. What they show is that they visit many places, which makes think they are well-informed and powerful. In fact, they likely stay at home and just surf related pictures from the internet.

Sign 7. They are not good at English.

When you communicate with these catfish, you will find that their English is poor, although they claim to be from English-speaking country. Once you express your suspicious, they will stop chatting and look for others to scam.

Sign 8. They have fantastic stories.

These catfish are good at making up stories. When you ask them what to do for borrowing money, they can give you many reasons, when you ask them why they don’t want to show up, they can always give you unexpected answers. Keep aware of someone online with this habit.

FAQs

Q1. How to confront a Catfish?

Step 1: Do a little research to support your hypothesis

Step 2: Take your last shot then cut your losses

Step 3: Block them and report them

Step 4: Change any pertinent information they may have

Step 5: Report the scammer to action fraud or the Internet crime complaint center

Q2. Is catfishing a crime in the US?

The resulting relationships vary, but can turn into a method to defraud people of their money or assets; Catfishers and fraudsters may harm, intimidate or threaten people as well. When the harm or fear becomes involved, Catfishing, online impersonation, is illegal under the law.

Q3. Who are the victims of catfishing?

According to catfishing records, men are almost 25% more likely to fall victim to catfishing than women. It seems like, even though men make approximately 43% of potential victims targeted by catfishers, they are more prone to believing fake personas on the internet.

Q4. What type of people get catfished?

Though both men and women fall prey to catfishing, women are more likely to be victims, as are people with anxious attachments. Online daters should exercise caution—especially when a potential date seems "too good to be true."

Q5. How do you protect yourself from catfish?

1. Do a background check.

2. Know the signs of being catfished.

3. Never share your personal information.

4. Be suspicious of those you don't know.

5. Ask questions that require specific knowledge.

6. Use reverse image search to identify fake profile photos.