How are you, my dear friends of Read.cash? Another week that ends, and I hope that the next one brings you many joys.
Yesterday, we were talking at home about the profiles that people use on the internet. And specifically, we talked about Catfishing.
This term began to be used after the documentary Catfish has released in 2010, directed by Henry Joost and Ariel Schulman. The documentary tells of an episode in the life of Nev Schulman, a photographer who lived with his brother Ariel and his friend Henry, who document a relationship that Nev starts with a girl through Facebook and that ended up not being what it seemed. The documentary later led to a television series produced by MTV. Catfish The TV Show that is still on the air.
Catfishing is when a person uses a fake profile on the internet. And although this can't be considered an illegal practice. The truth is that most people that use fake identities on the Internet use to do it to deceive other people. Many times what catfishers are looking for is some monetary gain. Sometimes these people end up bribing the person with whom they establish a relationship. Catfish is very common on online dating sites.
Also, there are lots of cases where Catfishers steal someone else's identity and assume it as their own, and identity theft in itself is clearly a crime. It has happened even with famous people.
And despite being a practice that occurs especially on online dating sites. Fake profiles also abound in any other social network. Some of these "fake" profiles don't even attempt to fool someone, only that the person seeks to remain anonymous.
Many network users don't use their personal photos. I have done it many times. But on those occasions, I have always used an avatar created or the image of something I like. I used the image of a flower for a long time in Noise and here in Read.cash. On Twitter, for example, I have never used my personal image. And my main reason is a bit of paranoia about the personal security issue.
I live in a country where the issue of personal security is always on the table. In many cases, criminal gangs use the information shared in networks to select and hunt down their victims. So I think not sharing personal photos it's a way to keep a low profile. Mainly in massive social networks, such as Twitter, if your account is open to everyone.
But some don't use a generic picture but someone else's. Those who do this often use a photo of someone attractive to attract attention. They can even make up a fake bio. Lie about their genre, age, and some personal details.
The truth is that the whole conversation made me think. I'm a very introverted person. And I tend to be quite reserved in both my personal life and on social media.
But here, I've been quite open with many aspects of my personal life. Even with many things, I don't usually talk about, even with my friends. And I realized that in some way, for the first time, I've exposed myself.
In any case, these are just a few random thoughts on this topic.
And you? Have you ever been the victim of a Catfish? Have you ever made up a fake profile on the internet? What are your thoughts on internet fake profiles?
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Images credits on the caption. All writings are my own unless anything different is stated. Copyright CoquiCoin 2021.
Until next time! ;)
August 22, 2021
I'm also quite reserved in both cases. However, here at Read, I have been quite open to my standards. And I really feel comfortable with it. I think it has been a kind of therapy. I like your profile picture in Noise more, haha. It's cooler! ;)
I am a little bit more open here. It is the environment, I guess. Noted. I may just change to the same profile pic here beginning next month.
I am me. I am Porwest. A name I have used in many places on the Internet. I am Porwest and I am also my real name (which I won't share here today). I don't hide behind fake profiles. I don't pretend to be something or someone I am not. I don't think it serves any purpose. Is there a reason I call myself Porwest? Yes. I have shared it many times, though not here. Maybe I will write an article on read about it one day.
I think we all have the right to keep our privacy. I'm more than agree with that.
On my facebook account i didnt use my profile pic instead my child not just hide the identity of mine but i like it to posted. I dont posted some fake stories because its not necessary to have it on my timeline.
You have writing skills I read you're article and This Is Very awesome and I learned from You and some new point about how we write some extra thing's When Our Mind become freeze ...
Thank you for your kind words!
Feel so bad, really these people very sick mentally sick...
When I use facebook, for example, I don't like to post personal stories, or comment on other people's stories. My data in my profile are true. When I see a profile that looks fake to me, I don't like to make it up.
We must stay away from any profile that seems suspicious. I haven`t used my FB for a long time, and I have very little information there.
I have been harassared and bullied on social media so many freakin times just because they wanted to be me but could not break me. Used my photos to hurt me and my family. It's just insane. People are insane. Now, I'm trying to keep my profile low.
That's too bad sis. Yes, many people are crazy and meant. Keep a low profile is the best we can do.
Specially on social media dont share personal infos and limit the people who can see it. 👍❤️
That's how it is! Thanks for stopping by!
I've already tried catfishing. There are many sites where I really don't use my own photo and prefer the generic ones. Just like you, I am afraid that my information might get stolen.
Yes, I suppose that we all have fear of our identity being stolen on the Internet. Thanks for commenting!
no problem 🤗🤗😇
The arrival of social networks and different media of digital social communication. It has triggered a series of very sad behaviors on the part of many people, as you tell us in this Article, many are taking advantage to swindle, to steal or even attempt against the lives of these people. The saddest thing is that these practices are being more evident in young people minors under 16 years of age, how they have free access to social networks, they often come across false profiles which are manipulated by pedophiles, sexual patients among others. I support one hundred percent what you do on Twitter, it is better to be careful with our social networks, not to share much of our lives. We do not know who is there lurking.
I remember many years ago, I received a friend request from a very beautiful girl on my facebook, she looked like a real model, but something did not fit with her photos and the information she gave, It turned out to be a 40-year-old man, who was posing as a girl to attract potential money men.
You're quite right. The most exposed are the youngest. To teach them to be forewarned and to don't trust a pretty face. It's quite a job. On Twitter, I don't expose myself. I use it more than everything as a means of information because as you know, here there are few means by which we can be informed. But here nowadays, the thefts of profiles on FB, IG, and WhatsApp are common. And the thefts seek to scam people with exchange operations. In short, every day we have to be more cautious. Saludos!
I’ve seen some people claiming to be other races and that’s when catfishing is bad, i think. Using someone else’s photo maybe alright, but pretending and claiming to be someone you’re not isn’t
I agree with you that pretending to be someone you aren't isn't okay. One thing is to want to remain anonymous and another to pretend to be someone else. The first one is fine, the second not at all.
Well that's the price of anonymity right? Unfortunately, intentions and motivation is in place and they just really need to get away which is why it has become bad. Getaway in a sense, no liability. That's just it.
Hahaha! I'm not sure what I do here is catfishing, I'm not using my real name thou but this is the name I've been using for years whenever I go Internet crazy with usernames. This is the facade I'd created to protect my privacy, especially when I planned on writing my thoughts here on read. Thou the email account is real but feels like I can go around like a ghost, no one knowing me when we meet on the real world. Oh! I am very much introvert, I'd like to enjoy writing and enjoying anonymity as well... Thou I'm loud and blunt honest, but only to few selected friends in real world. I really love my privacy and people leaving me alone!
As far as you are not pretending to be someone else or try to fool anybody, you aren't catfishing. In my opinion, you are just keeping your privacy.
Catfish es un programa que vi hace algunos años, no sabía que aún seguía en emisión, los casos que allí pasaban me parecían sorprendentes. Admito que, cuando tenía la edad de 13 años fingí ser una joven de 18 para salir con un chico de 21 por Internet y vaya lío en el que me metí, fingí una identidad, si, ese pasado oscuro que cargo siempre que lo recuerdo me da vergüenza y si pudiera viajar al pasado me daría una bofetada a mi yo de 13 años para que se dejara de tonterías.
Se te puede perdonar porque eras una niña y seguro el chico te gustaba mucho. Pero me imagino que te metiste en un buen lío. Pero por otra parte supongo que la experiencia te enseñó y eso ya es bastante. Saludos amiga, que bueno verte por aquí! :)
Nice article keep writing
Thank you! :)
I never use other pictures on my social media accounts or any accounts but my own. And now that catfishing is quite rampant and you have shared this article I am quite doubtful of my action because I never had put such caution in my mind before.
I don't think we can live in fear either. It's not the intention of the article. Here, I show myself as I am. And I've even shared some photos and I don´t feel uncomfortable with that. In FB, although I have not used it for a long time, my account is only for my friends, and I use IG just a little. The one I use the most is Twitter, and there I don't share anything personal. Catfishing is mostly found on dating sites. The theft of information and photos is frequent on networks like FB, but it also depends on how open your profile is.
Oh! Ur article is good, it stimulates discussion.... Hahaha! Nice though... Some more?!
Thank you! Glad to know it stimulates good discussions. :)
Oh! Is that it? I'm sorry to make you feel that your article doesn't serve it's purpose. I misunderstood it. My apologies it's just that I overthink and think the danger it brings in general. But now that you have enlighten me, I am at ease though it's still some cases of catfishing anywhere on social media, I know some.
Oh, don't be sorry. I'm fine with your comments. ;) And I'm glad that the article makes you think about the issue of the security of our information on the internet. What I tried to say to you is that of course, we have to be precocious but that doesn't mean we won't share anything on the web. And thank you so much for commenting and leave your thoughts on the topic. :)
My pleasure 🥰 I will be your constant visitor from now on I find your writings interesting. Keep writing 😊
Thank you so much for your kind words!
Your most welcome ☺️
I do share some of my photos on Fb. I only have Facebook as my way of connecting to people. And I also did try to use other's picture for a purpose. Even the thought of doing it makes me scared because we also have a law for that.
Using someone else's photos as your own is wrong. And we can get into trouble for doing it. If you want to remain anonymous, it's better to use generic photos.
This is the first time I have heard of the term. Now I know that it's called catfish. I wes never a victim for now coz I'm very careful with the people I add on my social media accounts. I prefer to use my photo for my profile so people I reconnect with will still recognize me. I hope there will be a law that will penalize catfishing in the future. For me, it's a cyber crime and should not be tolerated.
I agree with you. It's a cybercrime. And it has no justification. Unfortunately, unless there is something else to report, it's not considered illegal to create a fake profile.
Just like you, I don't like sharing photos of me or my friends and family on other platforms. I do it in fb though but I have limited posting there as well. We really should be careful what we post online for others can easily steal your identity like that. In fb, there are those who will create an account and use photos grabbed in your account. They would then pose as you and with that they can fool your friends and other people.
Wise... Now I suddenly realized, what have I done! Tsk!
What exactly have you done? :D
Yes, that happens a lot on FB. Here in Venezuela, it happens all the time. Also here people are used to exchanging currencies such as dollars and euros with friends because of hyperinflation. And through this method, stealing your photos and identity on FB and IG, they try to scam your friends.
We are just one click away from being scammed.
Never experienced and did this i always use fake profile in Facebook to hide who I'm i don't want to see someone laughing on my real profile coz I'm ugly or whatever that's why i use fake ones but not on noise and read coz they are decent and educated peoples exist.
Well I was recruited for FB, and I don't feel fair if I deceive friends... But I should have more reservations in posting...
If it's done to preserve anonymity, I don't think it's wrong.
the closest that I have personally known of is my colleague who believed his boyfriend was cheating on her so she made a dummy social media account, used some sexy woman's profile picture and tried communicating to his boyfriend. I try to use my personal picture though...
Well, she was doing some Catfish for research purposes. ;)
I experience catfish twice. When I was in highschool my first account in Facebook then the other one when I was in college which makes me nervous, there using my image at the profile picture ma'am. God bless you.🙏
Oh well, you had the problem of identity theft. I hope you solved it without any trouble. God bless you too.
Yes ma'am it's already done. Thank you ma'am.❤️
Good to know, you're welcome!
Fortunately I haven't experienced it yet. But all I can say is why do other people even think of make a fake identity. We know we can't stop this catfishing issue but I hope they think that what they are doing is wrong and they are only adding to the world's problems.
Unfortunately, there will always be people willing to do things like this only for their own benefit.
Yeah without thinking about the situation of others. 😓
Exactly. And the only thing we can do is be vigilant and protect ourselves.
As an introvert and a "closed" type of person, I am not very active in my personal social media accounts. Some of my classmates might have broadcasted that they have already graduated while here am I with my family who are the only ones who know that I graduated. I can say that it's liberating for me to express myself here and in noise under a different profile picture and name too. Thankfully we haven't experienced dealing with fake users.
I'm also very reserved and share little on social networks. I stopped using my FB account a long time ago. And I also found the experience in Noise and Read liberating, but especially in the latter.
Catfish: I used to watch that show, I didn't know it was still on the air. There are things that are pretty obvious that such a person can be a fake profile but when someone falls in love they are blind to see I partly understand that you don't use a profile picture, for the security of information. Thank you for share interesting information.
You are welcome! Here, I use my picture. And I feel comfortable with it. But on Twitter, I don't and have no intention to do it. Thanks for stopping by!
This topic grabbed my attention, my cousin actually fell for this trap. She was communicating with someone online who went as far as proposing to her, then all of a sudden he started demanding for money.....if it's not his health its something else all because he used a handsome cover page that she fell in love with. To cut it short she requested to see him physically and that was when she got blocked. There are a lot of things going on the internet that baffles me.
Ugh! To get to the point of proposing to her is going to the extreme. And yes, many things on the internet are baffle. Thank you very much for the Sponsorship! I appreciate it!
Haven't a victim of Catfishing and hopefully I will not. I only shares my personal pictures on FB and Ig. On twitter, I mostly used a pic of the Kpop Idol I like, since as what you've mentioned Twitter is really a big platform.
Here on Readcash, I also share most of my personal life.
That's fine. And yes in Twitter is impossible to control with who we interact. And I think Read.cash makes most of us being more open with our personal things.
I really am not fond of posting or using my own pictures. If ever I posted some, I will cover my face or blurr it. I have a dummy account or another account where I post different stuff, sometimes anime or stories, but I don't do catfishing. I feel bad to the other person tho lol
And I'm fine with that. We have the right to remain anonymous on the Internet as long as we don't look to harm anybody.
I used to use my real photo in all my soc media accounts and the same with you, in this platform, I am more open to my personal life and am more open to sharing my thoughts. 💗
And that's fine, but we must always be careful when we interact on the network. Cheers BC!
It happened on facebook when someone was constantly downloading my pictures and uploading it as is. Someone called my attention to it and i was shocked to see it. I felt someone close to me was behind the account. We reported the account and it was blocked. But since then i stopped using FB frequently and also stopped uploading my pictures everytime
Funny thing is i was once using the image of the Eiffel tower as my avatar. I didn't know it was passing the wrong message. Someone felt i was from paris...
I stopped using FB a long time ago. And how bad that your photos were stolen there. I remember a time when many FB accounts were hacked.
Well, maybe your avatar of the Eiffel tower was the reason you received proposals in Noise. French girls have a reputation for being pretty and sexy, LOL
Maybe 😂😂😂
I experienced this when my old Facebook account was being hacked. Someone posted items on my account. Even some nasty pictures that wasn't mine.
I remember a time when FB accounts were often hacked. Too bad that happened to you.
I've been on the internet since before it existed, and i don't think that, at least on the surface net, i'll be able to "hide" my true idenity. So i use my own pictures and talk about my life. But there are times when i venture out onto the deepwebor even the darkweb and when i do i do so completely anonymously. Tor over VPN and/or i2p and a no cookie/script browser config. Anybody able to find me and or identify me has by that time spent so many resources on doing so that they deserver to find or ID me. LOL!
Really if someone finds you with all those measures, they deserve to find you. LOL
You're right that there are some people who used this to deceive others. Many wants to gain more attention and ask money to those people who fall from their trap. My cousins and my friend are victim of this fake identity. We saw in the social media that there are fake acc who uses their photos so we reported the acc immediately.
Too bad what happened to your cousin and his friend, but thank goodness they soon realized the identity theft and reported it.
Good thing there's nothing serious happened to them since they able to know that fak acc before it deceive other people using their photos
They were lucky to realize it before someone was really deceived or hurt.
This article reminds me of viral video where a woman thought bill gates was texting her with his finsta account... It was so sad yet so funny because she felt that the people giving advices against sending the catfish her card details were jealous of her... Beautiful article
Thank you! And thanks for sharing that Catfishing story.
I have always uploaded my real identity on any social platform and I am being myself. Is only on readcash I haven't put my picture with noisecash too. Thanks for sharing this, I learnt what catfishing mean now.
Oh, it's okay. I'm not against using a photo that is not ours on the internet. As long as we don't use it to deceive someone. For me, it's fine to remain anonymous. It's our choice.
We really have to be careful so we shouldn't fall for these catfish accounts. At the same time keep out personal information safe from the internet so it wouldn't be used to track us. Some people pose as celebrities just to scam people of their hard earned money. Apart from the fraud, I've seen people who simply create catfish account for fun, this is very popular on Twitter, creating accounts just to mock the original person being imitated.
As you said, we have to be very careful with the information we share. Thanks for stopping by!
You're welcome dear.
Yes I try to use a picture that isn't mine and I made a fake acc on facebook but I didn't fool someone, ilike want to post funny, the ones I can't post in my original acc hahaha. But I was fooled by the poser I loved him for 5months , until now I still don't know who used that acc lol.
I'm sorry you've been being fooled for 5 months and that it took that long to realize it.
It's as you say we expose ourselves by posting personal photos. But I think this platform is a little more closed with personal information. In other networks the photos and addresses of users are more available to the public.
Of course, I agree with you. The scope of what we post here is less than in massive networks like Twitter or Facebook.
I have used my real photo in my other online profiles. And I relate somehow with you when you said that here at read, you became more exposed. I feel the same way but it is a good adjustment I think :)
I agree with you. It's a good adjustment, and I'm comfortable with it so far.
Same here :) Positive changes within!
I really enjoyed this article. Learnt a new term today called Catfishing
I'm glad you liked it and learned something new!
Well I am always me, although noise is the first time I have never used a picture of me in any online profile. Catfishing is everywhere, although it does not seem to be as common as it used to be, either that or I am not mixing with people who talk about it!
I think it's more likely that you don't mix with people who talk about it, and neither do I. But my son often comes with stories about it.
And you are you, Ed! And Broxi is as if it is you! ;)
hehe we are all unique Eliana :)
Yes, we are! ;)
It is common everywhere because people just want to scam and deceive People with their selfish interest. I just hope they understand that it is hurting People.
For selfishness or monetary interest, they end up hurting people who fall for these deceptions. Thanks for stopping by, princess!
Scammers everywhere. Watch your back else you fall in their traps.
Yes, we have to be very careful with this issue.
100 fact! I was a victim of a scammer here in our country not through online platform though but through investment scheme. All my savings are gone because of it. Up until now, I was not able to get back my money. I learned from my mistakes that there is no easy money. We need to work hard on it. Thank you for this!
Yes, there is no easy money. And if it seems, for sure, it's a scam.
Yes, I had been a victim of catfish a long time ago. Someone grabbed some of my photos and uploaded them as hers. She/he would try to indulge with indecent proposals to some random guys in exchange for a prepaid load.
That's so bad. You suffered identity theft. I hope you were able to solve it without much trouble.
I also wanted to thank you for renewing my sponsorship. ♡
Aw, yeah, not a catfish but identity theft. My bad. And you're always welcome.