By Anita Davis
By Anita Davis
The term “catfish” refers to a person who pretends to be someone else online. A catfish uses fake photos and sometimes a false persona to find friends or romantic partners on the internet. You may think that catfishing does not occur that often; According to a survey taken in 2018 by the FBI, around 1 in 3 people have been or know someone who has been catfished. Catfishing is happening here in Copley as well. Let’s talk about the experiences encountered by Copley High students that were shared with me via Drumbeat’s survey.
“For 7 years I thought I was talking to Robert Pattinson. It was the best time of my life… or so I thought. It turned out [that] it was just a creepy old pervert and I still haven’t recovered."
“For 7 years I thought I was talking to Robert Pattinson. It was the best time of my life… or so I thought. It turned out [that] it was just a creepy old pervert and I still haven’t recovered."
-Anonymous
-Anonymous
Dear anonymous,
7 years is a long time to be manipulated by someone, especially when you were hopeful that it was someone as famous as Pattison. A good way to test an online relationship where you have not seen them in real life is to ask them to send you a video of them with a spoon in their left hand. If someone is portraying another person and using their photos, requesting a random specific pose or object included in a video will ensure that this person is real.
“I had been talking to this guy who told me he was 17 on a social app and we had been talking for a few months and I really liked him. We never Facetimed because he always said he was busy. We eventually met up because I wanted to meet him [in real life] and be with him. When his car pulled up I got excited. Then this 50-something year old man got out of the car and started walking towards me yelling my name out. I freaked out and ran away.” - Anonymous
“I had been talking to this guy who told me he was 17 on a social app and we had been talking for a few months and I really liked him. We never Facetimed because he always said he was busy. We eventually met up because I wanted to meet him [in real life] and be with him. When his car pulled up I got excited. Then this 50-something year old man got out of the car and started walking towards me yelling my name out. I freaked out and ran away.” - Anonymous
Wow, Anonymous,
This situation could have turned into the plot of a horror movie if this man had been even more malicious. I am glad you got out of that situation, but as you may know this could have led to your abduction or worse. Do not ever agree to meet strangers! Please stay cautious!
“My friend was catfished a while ago. She was 15 and a man was snapchatting her saying he was 19. He claimed to just want to be friends, but he got progressively more creepy and more possessive. He was probably actually in his mid-twenties. It ended pretty soon after he sent her[an inappropriate video]. This is obviously disgusting even if he was 19. The trauma is still there.” - Anonymous
“My friend was catfished a while ago. She was 15 and a man was snapchatting her saying he was 19. He claimed to just want to be friends, but he got progressively more creepy and more possessive. He was probably actually in his mid-twenties. It ended pretty soon after he sent her[an inappropriate video]. This is obviously disgusting even if he was 19. The trauma is still there.” - Anonymous
Dear Anonymous,
This is awful. I understand why there would be trauma behind this unfortunate situation. Sadly there are people in the world who only care about what benefits themselves and will try to prey on those who may not understand that. There is a significant age gap between 19 and 15 years old. Please stay away from anyone or anything that seems suspicious.
“Bro swear. There’s this one guy who I was talking to and I went to meet him. HOMIE LOOKED LIKE Ercole from Luca. I was so disappointed to see his face bro but I ended up dating the guy for 9 months. BAHAHAHA and the guy had the audacity to break up with me. I’m probably the most fine woman he’s ever had in his life.”
“Bro swear. There’s this one guy who I was talking to and I went to meet him. HOMIE LOOKED LIKE Ercole from Luca. I was so disappointed to see his face bro but I ended up dating the guy for 9 months. BAHAHAHA and the guy had the audacity to break up with me. I’m probably the most fine woman he’s ever had in his life.”
- Anonymous
- Anonymous
Dear Anonymous,
I understand the disappointment you may have now knowing the guy’s appearance was not what you expected. However, I do advise everyone to look a bit further than the superficial and dig deeper than looks. As far as I can tell, you did look past his appearance, seeing as you were together for 9 months. I am sorry that you were the one that was broken up with and I would push you to get closure from the situation.
“She [turned out to be MALE]!!!”
“She [turned out to be MALE]!!!”
- Anonymous
- Anonymous
Dear Anonymous,
Wow, I am sorry that anatomically she did not match your expectations. I would consider having a conversation about gender identity and seeing how receptive she is to it. Good luck!
When someone is catfished, it can be extremely damaging to their mental health, especially if they are emotionally invested in a friendship or romantic relationship. The purpose of this article is to raise awareness about potential encounters and to prevent members of our community from falling victim to catfish attempts.
Potential red flags to look for if you are not sure about a person’s identity:
They won't pick up a phone call.
They don't have many followers or friends.
Their story doesn't add up.
They're using someone else's photos.
Their only photos are professional.
They're reluctant to meet in real life or even video chat.
They ask you for money.
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