There are also abusive personalities out of catfishing. They sometimes harass or stalk their victims. And there is also the danger if you meet up with this type of catfisher they might be capable of physical abuse.
Most of the time these online scammers have a financial motive. They come up with a myriad of reasons they need money. For example, they say they need money to visit you. Or a family member may be sick.
Regardless of the money request…say NO.
- Don’t give any money to the catfisher.
- If you have given money to a scammer report the cyber fraud to local authorities. If you live in the US file a complaint with the FBI’s Internet Crime Complaint Center.
- Block the scammer from all your social media accounts. If you are in phone contact block their number.
- Report the catfish on the site or platform where they approached you.
- Even if they got away with cash from you, reporting the catfish can’t hurt to help keep future victims safe from the same cybercriminal. Report this to a scam tracker like the Better Business Bureau.
