Warning Signs That You Are Being 'Catfished'
The Eastern Massachusetts division of the Better Business Bureau offers information on "catfish" scams.
Similar to popular email phishing scams, ‘catfishing” scams occur when a scammer assumes a persona on a social networking site and then creates an entire false identity using the pictures, hobbies, interests and even friends of someone else. While the purpose for doing so varies, the most common progression of this scam is the development of a relationship in hopes that the scammer will be able to ask for and receive money from their unsuspecting love interest. Accounts from victims generally follow the same pattern: after meeting online, victims engage in a whirlwind romance, quickly progressing from emails to texting to phone calls. After hitting it off, the couple schedules many attempts to meet in person, however they are always …
