Be Aware Of Cat Fishing On Social Media And Dating Sites!
I don’t know where I have been hiding. “Cat fishing” is not a term that I’d heard before in an online context.
This isn’t about those slimy, ugly fish that swim about the bottom of lakes and rivers, but to me the people who indulge in this practice are just as ugly, and they are just as slimy!
The practice involves someone gaining an advantage over someone else, while hiding behind a false identity.
While this type of fraud has always been around, the internet has made it easier for fraudsters to operate from behind an electronic screen.
I first learned the term “Cat fishing” from Susannah Birch’s post.
She shared about how she’d been “cat fished” for 12 years by a man old enough to be her father, and who was pretending to be from another town.
While she wasn’t physically abused, Susannah was emotionally vulnerable.
And to me, this makes it worse.
Whether the person involved was a control freak, or on some sort of middle aged crusade to regain his youth, I don’t know.
But there is no excuse for this type of behavior!
Online bullying is enough of an issue in this day and age, and this takes it to a whole new level.
I wrote years ago about how our youngest daughter was bullied by another child on “Bebo”, and how we dealt with that.
Vigilance is a must on the part of parents, and they really need to monitor their children’s online activities, regardless of any protests.
(Our four daughters used to complain about how strict I was, but they appreciate it now!)
Three things that you need to do to in a situation like Susannah’s:
Think clearly and stay in control of your emotions.
Never give them money.
Never give away your personal details.
Here are 13 Ways To Avoid Being Catfished from SocialCatfish.com
Other posts:
Don’t Be Like That With Me, I Saw What You Did!!
So Tell Me Again How Resilient Kids Are When It Comes To Divorce!