You can’t trust everything you see on the internet. But what if you meet someone online and the connection seems undeniable?

Catfishing is when a person takes information and images from other people or generates photos using AI, and uses them to create a new identity, typically online on social media platforms. The aim of this is to deceive someone else into believing they are in a friendship or relationship, usually with the intention of fraud, extortion or cyberbullying.

The concept of catfishing has gained significant attention in popular media, starting in 2012 with MTV’s “Catfish: The TV Show” which followed a catfishing victim who wanted to help others investigate their own possible catfish. The fascination with this topic is still evident today, with Netflix’s “Sweet Bobby: My Catfish Nightmare” shedding light on the story of a woman who fell victim to a catfish for 9 years.

Catfishing is the contemporary label applied to the online activities of a person who masquerades as someone else for the purpose of exploiting others. In reality, this relates to financial and sexual exploitation, and very often both.

Everyone can be susceptible to catfishing, but some groups can be particularly vulnerable, such as those who feel isolated, disconnected or lonely and young people who mistakenly see the online environment as a safe place to experiment, engage and explore their sexuality.