Have you met someone online and are unsure if they are who they claim to be? Mostly, you will encounter scammers who are hard to trust. They try to engage you to believe in them, and when you do, they scam or start blackmailing.
Recent data reveal that the US IC3 department receives scam complaints from almost 24,299 people. The total scam amount in the last few months of 2025 is estimated to be around $965 million. (Source)
This clearly means that people are getting fooled easily and send money or their personal information to the scammer without knowing their real identity.
Well, if you don’t want to be the victim of this, then the following signs and signals will let you know that you’re being catfished online.
By the end of this article, you will know the key signs that you are being catfished online and what to do if you fall victim to it.
What is Cat Fishing?
The term catfishing refers to the act of creating a false online identity, often by using someone else’s personal information and photographs. Individuals engaging in catfishing typically use a fabricated identity to deceive others and gain their trust. This deceptive practice is commonly used to manipulate, scam, or blackmail unsuspecting victims.
Catfishing is particularly prevalent on social media platforms like Facebook and Instagram, affecting millions of users annually. In many cases, it serves as a precursor to more serious criminal activities, including extortion and blackmail.
They never want to show their face.
If you are buying something from social media from someone you don't know, but your gut is telling you something’s off, simply ask them for a video chat. If they agree to a video chat with you and show you the proof, they aren’t scammers.
However, if the person hesitates to join the video call, they might be a catfisher. Because a trusted person won’t hide their true identity and ensure everyone trusts them. However, scammers primarily aim to steal your money or personal information.
In that case, asking for a video call will help you determine whether they are a real or fake person. At first, they might say their camera isn’t working, they are outside, or another excuse. However, if this persists, don’t trust that person, as they may be hiding their true identity.
They send you harmful links.
Nowadays, a new type of scam is circulating, where the next person sends you an unusual link and asks you to click on it, sign in, etc. They first try to gain your trust, and after that, they begin sharing such links.
The easiest method to verify the link is by using the F-Secure link checker. Before clicking on that link shared with you, simply copy and paste it into this free website. If it displays a green signal, that means you can trust it. However, if it shows a slight warning, do not click on it.
In this image, you can clearly see that it mentions the link “unverified,” and you must not trust it.
Here’s what a verified and trusted link will look like in F-Secure:
The image shows a “verified and safe” link that you can click to open.
This is the perfect and reliable approach to verify links sent to you, not only by swindlers, but by anyone.
Their profile is newly created.
Scammer profiles aren’t old enough because when they scam someone, they often report their profile, which leads to the account being lost. So, they always have multiple accounts and use them. If one account gets locked, they create a new one.
That new account starts sending an invitation or friend request to you, and when you get in touch with them, they start their act. At first, they will gain your trust and then reveal their true intentions, ultimately scamming you.
So, to avoid being catfished, you can verify whether their profile is new or old enough to be trusted. For instance, if they mention that their brand has been in the market for the last 6 months, but their profile is only a few days old, you should be cautious.
Their prices are lower than the original.
One of my close friends was scammed out of $60 while purchasing a copy of the Patek Philippe Nautilus 3700. The original cost of this watch ranges from $ 80,000 to $2 million. However, that scammer claimed you would receive the third copy for $60.
The scammer lured him so much that my friend agreed to pay him $60, but he didn’t receive what he expected. A watch that would be around $5 and doesn’t even have the cells in it. When he tried to contact the scammer, they didn’t respond and blocked them.
So, whenever you consider purchasing a copy of the original product, think about why that person is selling it too low when the original price is costly. This is because when they put high prices on their watches, people may be deterred from buying them due to a low budget. So, they lure the audience with low prices, and innocent people fall into their trap.
They always use other people’s pictures.
Most of the time, scammers use other people’s images to conceal their true identity. In that case, if your gut tells you something is off, then make sure to verify it from your side.
Take a screenshot of their profile picture or the image they shared and upload it to the face search engine tool. If the search results lead to consistent and reliable source links (such as a single profile), it likely indicates the person is real.
However, if the same image appears across numerous profiles with different names or unrelated information, it strongly suggests the identity is fake and possibly part of a scam.
Helpful Tips to Avoid Online Catfishing & Scams
To save yourself from being scammed, below are some valuable tips and tricks that you can follow:
Search for their profiles on other trusted platforms
Before you pay for a product or service, conduct a one-time check on the person on other trusted platforms. For instance, if they mention their brand name, search for their website. If there’s not any, it’s the first red flag. Besides, when you search for that brand on social media and nothing appears, that’s when you should ignore that particular person.
Additionally, to gather more information about that person, search for them on various platforms, such as Reddit, Instagram, and Twitter. If they don’t have any other social profile with the same username, they aren’t trusted! The reason is that scammers don’t waste time on such activities, and these tiny details and hints can help determine whether the next person is trusted or a deceiver.
Ask them to video chat with you.
When someone is genuine, they will likely agree to a quick video chat and won’t hesitate to show their face. Asking them for a quick video chat is one of the easiest ways to verify their identity. People who are real don’t hide, but scammers do. However, if they constantly make excuses like “my camera doesn’t work” or “I’m outside now,” it’s a big red flag. Using video chatting, you can confirm you’re dealing with a real person or a fake.
Ensure you have a face-to-face video call before sharing personal information or sending money.
Identify Scammers with Face Search
One of the most effective ways to identify a person's true identity is to search for them using face recognition engine tools. Such tools are designed to find similar pictures of the real person. This technology is also used in the security sector to identify thieves and fraudsters. It recognizes and matches face features and patterns to identify the person.
However, in case you have a profile picture of the person, take a screenshot of it and upload it into the face search tool. If the same image is being used by different accounts and sources online, then it means a scammer has also picked it from those sources. But if you start seeing similar images from the same account under the same name, it’s a green light.
End Note
In recent years, catfishing has become one of the most significant global concerns, with scammers continually devising new methods to deceive and exploit individuals. They use emotions, trust, and curiosity to trick people into falling for their scams. But if you stay alert and follow the tips above, you’ll be better off. Don’t click on suspicious links, always verify identities, and trust your instincts. The more educated you are, the harder it is for scammers to fool you.