I have been learning from Larry Kaye on YouTube for years. He's a private investigator who is kind enough to share a lot of his knowledge with others for free. He's been asked to join us here on Steemit, and I hope he does!
Today he shared a video about Catfishing, and I replied to it on YouTube. It is a good topic to discuss on Steemit as well. A lot of people have fallen for online dating and other related scams. Perhaps this post will help you avoid one.
The demotivational meme is meant to be a joke, but what he's doing is important.
He's looking at the women face to face.
Catfishing scams work because it is easy to fake an identity over the Internet. The person can appear to be anyone they want to be. As Larry Kaye explains in his video, take the photos and use reverse image searches to look for them elsewhere. Do not be fooled by a person who has lots of pictures or even recent ones to share with you however.
They can be using photos of a family member or friend. Then those pictures will not necessarily be found elsewhere, and they will have plenty to show you with the ability to explain each one. Remember, just because you do not find them associated with another person does not make them genuine. The other person could still be deceiving you.
If you meet someone online, the best way to be sure they are who they say they are is to use video chat. Then meet them in person as quickly as possible if you want to go forward. I met my wife online, but I drove to see her within a week of our online connection. The primary purpose of the face to face meeting was to confirm her identity.
Before pursuing the relationship further, investigate their background.
A person may not be lying about their identity or their appearance. They could still be withholding valuable information that would change your opinion of them. For example, they could have really bad credit and a lot of debt, or their family members could have been in jail for various crimes in the past. Perhaps they themselves have a criminal record too.
You do not necessarily need to hire a private investigator either. A vast amount of information can be found online these days without having to be a licensed or registered investigator. If a lot is a stake however, I would recommend an actual investigator's assistance. Make sure the person really is who they say they are, and make sure they are not lying by omission.
