Georgians are just like everybody else, trying to find that special someone and sometimes willing to take risks to do so. But a new report shows that sometimes those risks may cost you.
The term has been around for a little while but for those unfamiliar, “catfishing” does not refer to trying to catch the whiskered bottom feeder but rather the internet scheme of pretending to be someone else in order to get money or steal an identity or simply to trick people for the “fun” of it.
Sometimes people pretend to be someone famous (like the woman who lost $100K as she thought she was involved with Bruno Mars) and sometimes it is just a meeting on social media with a scammer. A documentary was made about the topic, an entire MTV series was based on it, and, in a particularly famous incident, even a Heisman runner-up has fallen prey to the scam. Compounding the problem is the humiliating nature of it, with victims sometimes reluctant to admit they have been duped.
Per capita, Georgia is doing relatively well but the state still has its fair share of victims of catfishing scams. The internet security site SocialCatfish.com released a study on the Most Catfished States in 2020 and found Georgia ranked 15th overall. More than $9 million was stolen last year from hundreds of victims across the state. In total, there was more than $300 million stolen last year, a Covid-induced increase of more than $100 million from 2019. (In American Samoa, there is exactly one poor victim who gave away $500)
Covid-19 increased the catfishing problem as people were stuck inside, isolated and lonely – dating app revenue set a record last year with more than $3 billion in revenue.
SocialCatfish offers some warnings to avoid being catfished:
5 Tips to Avoid Being Catfished:
- Never Give Money or Personal Information out to people you meet online 2. Take Things Slow: If it seems like your would-be paramour is moving things a little fast for merely meeting online, there could be a reason for that.
3. Meet or Video Chat: If someone repeatedly finds ways to not chat via video, there could be a reason for that.
4. Reverse Search: Scammers can send photos found anywhere on the internet and pretend to be them. Using a reverse image search may discover that photo is actually a model from another country, or a random – and happily married – woman named Dorothy who lives in Kansas.5. Be Aware on All Platforms: Scams come from all platforms, not just dating apps. Scammers may try to find victims on Facebook, Instagram or anywhere else where a lot of people gather on the internet.
The problem is so widespread, it has attracted the attention of attorneys general. Georgia Attorney General Chris Carr warned about online scams as Covid kicked off last year. “Criminals continue to exploit the COVID-19 outbreak – trying to steal, deceive and disrupt,” said Carr. “We often see fraudsters use texts, and unfortunately, they are at it once again. If you or anyone you know receives one of these texts, please immediately contact our office or law enforcement so we can better protect Georgians during this difficult time.”
It appears a number of Georgians could use more warnings.
