Catfishing

Catfishing means creating a false online persona, often with stolen photos and an invented name or life story, to trick someone into an emotional or romantic connection. The term comes from the 2010 documentary Catfish and the MTV series that followed, which explored people who were not who they claimed to be online. In LGBTQ+ contexts the harm can be severe. A fake profile may be used to out someone, to extort money or images, or to lure a person to a meeting where they face robbery, harassment, or violence. Dating and hookup apps have added photo verification and reporting tools to reduce the risk, but caution before meeting someone in person remains the best protection.