How was dating couple of decades back. They meet people in person, talk and share before they decide to take it up to next level of commitment. What happens in this era of 21st century? Long distance, online relationship and social media platform made dating sounds very easy even miles apart. Closer proximity is now a myth so no more we are playing that safe game of dating. Risk factors are hugely attached with these new age online relationships.
One such highly pragmatic risk is catfishing. Building relationships based on the fake profile created with an intention to lure a person in to scams or sexual favours. Without revealing about themselves pretending to be someone else online the person draft a plan to impress the victims and reap benefits.
The steepest slope of catfishing is everyone online are catfish someway or other.
Have you faked your age, location or not revealed your identity to anyone for privacy concern. Yeah sure we are because that’s how the online environment want us to behave but building barriers and securing ourselves. It is not wrong or illegal unless we seriously involve in any of cyber crimes with that or victimized another person with money scams.
Various signs you are being catfished
- Fast progress in a relationship
- Never reveals their true self to you
- All their social accounts lacks activity
- Trying to involve in emotional blackmail
- Flawless and too good to be true
- Matching all your interest thats unreal
- Covers up with many stories
- Reluctant to open up
Pedophiles and other predators can impersonate to be someone young to develop relationships with teenagers. They trap their victims to share intimate information that later is used to lure them into favours. These are considered unsafe as they could result in sexual assault or abduction.
In-order to target few people online reputation fake profiles are created to involve in cyberbullying and online harassments.
It is always not about the money when the activity of impersonations are involved. Key factors which attracts the person to involve in these type of fake disguise are
Loneliness and disconnect with the social circle force people to engage in being popular online with these behaviours
Dissatisfaction and lower self esteem push them towards disguise. The fear of rejection of true self also contributes to major psychological baggage.
Just to escape realities and involve in the virtual romance people tend to create fake identities.
Hidden motives behind their act. They expect to extract information from you which is used against other cyber crimes.
The rules and requirements behind the social platform asks for certain age or criteria to be consented so people go with the flow and create a fake profile to meet the criteria set. These transform themselves in to a new person online all together.
The online disinhibition effect makes us@a do things abnormally than our true self and when it causes strain on the other people it needs to be taken care of immediately. To hook this around when you cant put a finger on it or have suspicion anytime online, you are right you are being catfished just raise the red flag and end it. Staying emotionally aloof could be the way out of all the virtual distress.
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