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| Blogs > myelin36 > Dirty Little Secrets |
I Dodged a Catfish Bullet
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I Dodged a Catfish Bullet Updated due to site denial for using language that the site deems "inappropriate." The Urban Dictionary defines Catfish as: someone who pretends to be someone they're not using social media to create false identities, particularly to pursue deceptive online romances. Last weekend my interest in trying the swiping app was piqued by another blogger's positive experience so I downloaded it on my smartphone. After about 4 days, three men had swiped right opening up a potential communication dialogue. One of these was a very attractive guy who had several pictures which all seemed to match. My initial alarm bell went off at seeing the distance which was 6,000 miles away. Nonetheless, he initiated first contact and we struck up a conversation last night. Questioning him about his location, he stated he was an officer the U.S. Army deployed to Cameroon, Africa but based out of Ft. Riley, Kansas. One of his photos showed a guy wearing an Army combat uniform and in the background, it was obvious the photo was taken in a third world country. The more I talked to him, the more I began to realize that the man on the other end clearly was not American. His messages were not grammatically structured, and several words he used were clearly not typical American words (i.e.: referring to a movie as a "cinema" dialect spelling of favorite, "favourite" color, "colour" and other weird sounding inconsistent words.) Due to this, I became suspicious that this man who claimed to be born and raised in the US and was an "officer" in the Army, clearly could not have made it through an American college or University based on his use of the English language. Having a minimum of a bachelor's degree is a requirement to be an officer in the Army. I also researched to see if the 1st Infantry Division had any troops deployed to Africa and could not confirm it on the 1st ID website. So, I called him out on it. I suspect he is on the site Catfishing women. I had all kinds of thoughts going through my mind about this guy- is he trying to dupe lonely, unsuspecting women into committing unscrupulous acts? I ended up reporting and blocking him. Its easy to wonder if the person is who they truly say they are, especially when there are some major red flags that are warning you this person may not exactly be the same person you think you are talking to. Here are some warning signs to help avoid getting duped by a potential catfish: They seem to good to be true. Be wary if a person seems too good to be true, because they quite possibly might be. People who catfish others typically make up a completely fake like and are often extravagant with their life history. They refuse to talk on the phone or pretend they don’t know what Skype is. If they’re savvy enough to be online, then they should know what Skype is. It’s much easier to pretend to be someone else when all communication happens online or via text. It becomes a bit more difficult when communication happens via phone. Catfish know this so they tend to come up with excuses in an attempt to avoid any medium that actually requires you to hear their voice. They have a job that constantly has them on the move, so they’re never near by. A common tactic of catfish when coming up with excuses as to why they can’t see you is to claim that they’re traveling due to work or some other reason. This helps these fakers put off a meeting with you, while still being able to string you along for the ride. Be especially careful if the person you’re talking to tells you that their work has them travel to countries like Africa or the Middle East. If they start asking for money (excuses range from being injured in a hospital to being robbed), you can be sure that it’s a scam. Their profile is littered with enough bad grammar that it would give an English teacher nightmares. Scammers from Africa, Asia and other foreign lands will claim to be born and raised in the United States, but really are stationed in their home countries with English being their second language. If they’re using English like a non-native speaker, be aware that the person you’re speaking to may potentially be a catfish. Don’t be afraid to ask additional questions to ensure that the person you’re speaking with is who they actually say they are before pursuing a relationship with them. They’re getting serious very quickly. If they say that things are getting serious after only a short amount of time, you might have just met a catfish. Don’t be so quick to attribute the fact that someone professes their love for you right away to your incredible charm. Catfish often declare they have met their One True Love only hours after having met online. Keep your ego in check and make sure this person isn’t just trying to butter you up. They look like they could be a model. While there are many attractive people using online dating sites, do keep in mind that most catfish want to look appealing so they’ll use pictures of extremely attractive people. This isn’t a sign on its own that you’re dealing with a catfish, but if it’s coupled with anything else on the list, you should definitely be wary. Have you encountered a potential catfish? What are some of the warning signs that led you to uncover the truth?  |
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Have never been on Tinder but have had a few people hot list me or flirt on this site (have no idea why) listing their residence in the USA. But they're attempts at putting together a sentence that is comprehendible is a dead give away and too funny.
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On this site(s) I get Russian brid-ski types from time to time. Same types of messages; bad spelling/"Inglish", not compatible age-wise (20s), too "hot" to be true. When the going gets weird, the weird turn pro. The only thing we have to fear is fear itself.
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Some similar-sounding scenarios there. Usually revolves around too good looking to be true, being hotlisted on the day they join etc Grammar? Well those spellings are correct English, so opposite from you in that someone local using American English instead of proper English. One standout was a UK woman, supposedly, using your regional spelling and asking me what my favourite NFL team was! Few enough people here care or support US sports, even fewer would be women, fewer still would be women who use American English and use that question as their opening gambit Catfishing is too mild a term for the ulterior motives these people have
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I usually get the ones that are in the military or say they are. The moment I tell them my brother is a Col. in the Army they instantly disappear. Apparently the military line is big with the catfishers. It is sad that there are women so desperate to need someone and there are men so willing to believe that a Halle Berry or Christie Brinkley would want them and they bite on this stuff usually ending up being taken the the cleaners and losing lots of money. Good tips!!!
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yes, I can relate. I have been catfished on this site numerous times. I have had men and woman who inform on email and IM that they are interested in me and like you as I continue to chat with them something is not right. I ask them to video chat with me and they always makes excuses or never show up on the promised time. Weird and annoying, but I realize it is part of my Senior Sizzle experiences....I take the good with the bad! “Life is available only in the present moment.” Thich Nhat Hanh Come and read my blog! Become a watcher! veryfunnycple64 
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I would like to add that I seriously got catfished before it was a term on this site. The very first person I ever met on here had talked with me for a couple of weeks including on the phone. When we finally set a meet time and I went believe it or not he showed up and it turned out he used a photo of someone else completely!!! No joke, he lied about all of himself. I left instantly. I am not sure if he thought I was desperate and would just stick around no matter what or if he thought he was all that, but trust me, he was FAR from anything I found appealing and to lie on top of it was too much.
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I get Catfished all the time. I'm not sure why exactly, but I suspect I look like a good target given my age and marital status.
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