Catfishing is a common social engineering scam where the attacker creates a fake online persona with the intention of deceiving others. Catfishes create these profiles for various reasons such as attention-seeking, entertainment or validation.
Example:
Lisa, feeling insecure about herself, created a fake online persona named “Jessica” on a social media platform. She uses online photos to portray Jessica as an outgoing and attractive individual. Through Jessica’s profile, Lisa starts interacting with others, garnering compliments and attention that she feels she lacks in her real life. Despite the deceptive nature of her actions, Lisa’s primary motivation for catfishing as “Jessica” is to seek validation and acceptance from others.
Protection Tips:
- Verify the identity of the people you interact with online.
- Trust your instincts and stay away from people who exhibit suspicious behaviour.
- Use reverse image search if you suspect someone may be using fake photos.