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The Growing Threat of Catfishing: How to Stay Safe in Online Dating
Red Flags, Scams, and Safety Tips to Avoid Falling Victim to Deception in the Digital Age.
Online dating has become an increasingly popular way for people to find companionship and love in the digital age. However, it has also given rise to a new form of deception known as catfishing. Catfishing involves the creation of a fake online persona to lure someone into a false relationship. While not all dating deception is nefarious, some catfishing schemes are designed to scam victims out of money or valuable personal information.
The numbers are alarming. According to a study by the Better Business Bureau, online romance scams resulted in over $304 million in losses in the US in 2020, with the average victim losing over $18,000. Furthermore, women are more likely to be victims of catfishing, comprising 59% of victims, and people with attachment anxiety are also at greater risk of falling prey to these schemes.
The emotional toll on victims can be devastating, as they often invest significant time and energy into building a relationship with their catfisher, only to discover they have been duped. In some cases, victims have even been coerced into sending intimate photos or videos of themselves, which the catfisher can use to…
