Catfishing is a deceptive activity where a person creates a sockpuppet presence or fake identity on a social networking service, usually targeting a specific victim for abuse or fraud. It was actually started in the 2010 documentary Catfish, staring Nev Schulman and Michigander Abby. Though the 2010 movie Catfish made the term catfish popular, it was not where the term originated. Why Are Online Dating Romance Scammers Called Catfish? “Catfishing’ refers to a scam where someone, the ‘catfish,’ creates a fictitious online identity and seeks out online relationships. Men and women have lost their hearts and large amounts of money to those online romance scammers, falling victim to the catfishing nets. In the documentary, 24-year-old Nev Schulman carried out an online relationship with 19-year-old Megan Faccio from Michigan. The term is a fishing term for those who caught cod. Here’s the story behind the terminology: > They used to tank cod from Alaska all the way to China. But, Megan Faccio did not even exist. Why is it called catfishing? These are frequently romantic relationships, and online dating websites and cell phone dating apps are fertile hunting ground for catfish. Catfishing is the activity of luring someone into a relationship by means of a fictional persona carried out via dating websites and apps, social media, chat rooms and instant messaging platforms. Some believe that the name was revived in the popular vernacular courtesy of a 2010 documentary film called “Catfish.” The film follows a young photographer as he develops a relationship with a woman on Facebook he thinks is young and single, but she’s really 40 years old and married. Possible motivations: revenge, loneliness, curiosity, boredom The term catfishing was inspired by the 2010 documentary "Catfish." Catfishing has unfortunately become a common term in the English language, despite being a nasty epidemic, however the real question is where did it come from? Read on to discover the crucial red flags to watch out for. The term ‘catfish’ as a reference to people who create fake accounts online, was originally created in the movie documentary ‘Catfish’ (2010). Who hasn’t come across a romance scammer and how many have fallen for those frauds? The practice may be used for financial gain, to compromise a victim in some way, or simply as forms of trolling or wish fulfillment. The phenomenon of internet predators that fabricate online identities and entire social circles to trick people into emotional/romantic relationships (over a long period of time). "Catfishing" is the term used for a particularly cruel kind of online scam. 1. This phenomenon known as catfishing is a uniquely modern one: a single lie, enabled by the cloak of technology, that stretches, morphs and multiplies until … When cod was caught in the ocean, it would be stored in a tank with water beneath the ship. They won’t pick up a phone call. 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