Dear Social Media, what is « catfishing » ?

To understand what « catfisfing » is about we first need to determine the online identity. We usually use this term to talk about the social identity that an internet user established in online communities, like social medias or blogs. Moreover it can also be considered as an actively constructed presentation of oneself. Some users choose to take their real names but others want to stay anonymous, identifying themselves by means of pseudonyms. Yet some can even be deceptive about their identity.

Catfishing is a way for a user to create a sockpuppet online profile, sometimes with fake photos and informations, in order to enter into a relationship, intimate or platonic, with another user. But why are they doing that ? Well they are many reasons but most of the time this is about money. I’m pretty sure you remember of this Nigerian Prince that needed some money to have access to his legacy. This was a really popular scam in the nineties but nowadays people are used to this fraud and the scammers are using other methods. Indeed they are using social engineering, creating fake identities, fake photos and fake social media accounts, and seduce innocent people into fake relationships. They take advantage of their naivety and make them believe that they are loved. And it all turns out to be just a big lie. Such a relationship can leave both your bank account and your heart dry.

But the appeal for money is not the only motive. Some online users have used catfishing to explore their gender and/or sexual identities, like in the MTV show « Catfish ». It can also be used as a way to cyberbully someone online or the create a fake relationship online. But cat fishing can be use for good purpose, indeed it can be a tactic to stop criminal. For example in 2004, Dateline NBC produced « To catch a predator », which documented undercover cops posing as minors online to catch pedophiles.

Emma PELIGRY