Catfishing. What is it and what do you need to know about it? Well, I think we all know what it means to be catfished but just in case… It’s being dupped, someone claims to be someone they aren’t. It happens and with AI technology there are even more ways you can be taken advantage of. I wanted to give you a few things to remember when online dating. These are some red flags to watch out for. 

Being too romantic

The ladies love romance. That’s no secret, but there is such a thing as being too romantic, especially right out of the gate. If she comes off as being too eager to fall in love with you before you’ve even been on a date…run. Even if this isn’t a catfish then she is a little too desperate and isn’t falling for you as a person. 

Tugging at your heartstrings

If she gives you a sob story right from the start then she is interested in something more than you. Most likely it will start off with her saying I’m in financial distress and this other situation is also happening in my life. This is someone looking for money. We’ve all had desperate scam emails and they are easy to spot but this can also happen on dating apps. End the conversation and don’t look back. 

Reluctant to meet

If you have been chatting with someone for a good amount of time and she doesn’t want to meet with you it could be a couple of different reasons. 1) she isn’t into you 2) she doesn’t feel safe/isn’t ready 3) she isn’t who she says she is. You are going to know it’s #3 when she constantly reschedules or always has a reason why she can’t meet. Even if you offer to do a video call or a phone call she will find a reason to say no or not show up. Mix in the sob story I mentioned above and that is a recipe for disaster. Move on. Period.  

Gets too personal

Of course, when you get to know someone the goal is to get to know them personally. However, it is a red flag if she is giving you too much insider information or asking too many personal questions within the first couple of days. She could be asking specific questions about your financial goals or wondering how much your vacations cost. She is digging into your life and not for the right reasons. This kind of person has also done their research and may know little details about you that you may not have mentioned before. 

Something seems off

If Aunt Sally died 6 months ago but now Aunt Sally is in the hospital having surgery then we all know Aunt Sally isn’t real. I know, this was a little dramatic but if you are noticing holes in her story then I would pay attention and see how often this happens. If it becomes a pattern, it’s likely not a real person who’s looking to date.

Photos are perfect

Photoshop is real and easier to use than ever before. If every image is flawless and seems to be too perfect it’s probably stolen and/or edited. Women do love to have nice pictures and may edit their photos but if every single one is too good to be true then it probably is. 

No online presence

Take this one with a grain of salt. Not everyone in the world has an online presence but for the most part, someone will have at least one profile on Facebook, Instagram, or LinkedIn. If they have an online dating profile there will usually be some presence on another platform. There are exceptions to this rule but it would be something to watch out for.

Final thoughts
This list doesn’t exist to make you paranoid or accuse anyone of being a catfish. It is simply a guideline to keep in mind when you are online dating. Many of the men reading this have been out of the dating game for a while and may need a crash course. Online dating has opened up a whole new world with new possibilities but there are also some things to keep in mind. If you would like me to help you set up an online dating profile and coach you through the process then contact me HERE.