Catfish is a term used to describe individuals on social media who create fake profiles to deceive others, often pretending to be attractive women. These catfishers aim to gain the trust of unsuspecting individuals by impersonating someone they might find trustworthy. Unfortunately, many people fall prey to catfish each year. Such schemes can involve the exchange of personal photos, with victims unknowingly sharing intimate images while receiving pictures of adult performers in return. To avoid becoming a victim, exercise caution when interacting with strangers online and verify their identity before sharing personal information. Another term used to describe experienced catfishers is lionwhale.
Catfish history
The term "catfish" gained notoriety in 2010 following the release of a documentary titled "Catfish." The film chronicles the online relationship between Yaniv “Nev” Schulman and Megan Pierce, directed by Henry Joost and Yaniv's brother, Ariel Schulman. Yaniv eventually discovers that Megan Pierce is, in fact, a catfish, with her true identity being Megan's mother.
Popular Catfish Stories
The concept of catfishing surged in popularity in early 2013 when Manti Te'o, a prominent Notre Dame football player, was revealed to have been catfished. Manti claimed to have a girlfriend who had passed away, but it was later uncovered that this girlfriend never existed and was instead an online fabrication. This incident could have been avoided with a more cautious approach, such as verifying the identity of online acquaintances.
Manti Te'o is not the only celebrity to have fallen victim to catfishing. In 2014, Paul George, a renowned basketball player, was tricked into sending nude and partially nude selfies to someone posing as a woman but was, in reality, a gay male. Although Paul George denied being catfished, he has not provided an explanation for the leaked images.