Catfish MTV
What is Cat Fishing Online all about? What about victims, people on the internet who are being Catfished Online and do not realize it. Why do people catfish other people? What is Cat Fishing MTV all about? What about the Online Cat Fishing Perpetrators? Are these crazy people? Gold diggers after your money? Sex starved idiots? Or a combination of these things and more.
This is an ultimate, fascinating, and intense guide to what exactly cat fishing online is. Lets take a look at all this craziness and see whats really going on in the world wide web of deceit below….WARNING There is lots of crazy and fascinating information here. You may want to book mark for future reference and let your friends know about this page as well. Lets learn to protect ourselves, friends, and our loved ones.
What is Cat Fishing Online?
Its Cat Fishing People
The rise of the internet and social media and the opportunity to connect with anyone, anywhere has led many people to try their luck at finding love online. On social media, a person can be anyone he or she wants. Unfortunately, some people are not using technology for its intended purpose.
Mainly, out of desperation, loneliness or curiosity, some people acquire false identities on social media. They create fake profiles primarily to enter into a romantic relationship with other unsuspecting victims.
This is whats called Catfishing Online. The person who takes on a false identity is called the “Catfish” and their victims are called being Catfished.
Catfished Defined
To Catfish someone means to intimidate and trick a person into developing a romantic relationship with the catfish or online predator through a deceiving identity online.
The Term “Catfish” for People
The term “Catfish” became popular after the release of a documentary of the same name exploring the online relationship of Nev, a young New-York photographer, with a fake young woman named Megan, who was actually a middle aged woman, Angela, online catfishing as Megan.
Followed by the release of the documentary, MTV also introduced a successful TV show of the same name, currently on its sixth season. Both the documentary and the TV show brought the term “Catfish” in mainstream use, meaning a person who sets up a fake identity on social media mainly to begin fraudulent romances.
What is making Cat Fishing Online so easy to do?
The internet is making what is known as cat fishing online so easy now. By creating an alternate online persona or internet identity people then put these fakes up on social media, forums and websites and is now a cakewalk to do so.
While, in most of the instances the Catfish is a lonely person looking for companionship online, some cases might turn ugly with the catfish extending his or her fake online personality in real life to bully or harass the victims and then disappear. Facebook is one of the best places for what a cat fishing online idiot is able to do fraudulently. People can set up any number of accounts and post pictures of whatever, who ever they like.
Cat fishing online is what a person makes his or her online appearance to be that is not real. Charming and pleasant to attract the victims; sometimes, juggling many victims simultaneously from the same profile.
What is Cat fishing People Online For?
A girl named Kylie developed a romantic relationship with a man named David. David and Kylie were in relationship for almost a year when Kylie realized that David was not what he seemed to be. In fact, David was not even a “he”. As it turned out, David was another girl named Alex who was secretly a lesbian. Alex was curious about her sexuality and wanted to explore more about her identity. She found that creating a fake online profile, David, was just the way to do so.
How they want to be, not who they are
For some people, creating a fake profile is a way to define how they want the world to see them. Identity is a complex idea and almost everyone holds different identities in different social situations.
For example, a person acts differently when he or she is with his or her friends or family or coworkers. If someone is not happy with their own lives and think about themselves as someone else, they might assume a false identity just to act the way they want the world to see them.
While some people do this for the sole purpose covering their loneliness by gaining attention and sympathy of many unsuspecting victims. These people usually create a fake profile and gain sympathy by sharing false stories about how they are suffering from a life threatening disease and how it’s impacting their life.
What is the Cat Fishing Online Exit Strategy?
These attention seeking catfish then have an exit strategy ready, by then killing their fake persona soon after duping people into sending cash after claiming the fight with the disease for such a long time has now ended, or to simply disappear once they have raped people for cash, never hearing from them again.
There could be numerous other reasons to why a person chooses to acquire an alternate identity. Some of them might be suffering from a mental illness or depression. Their frustration and self-hate takes the form of cyber bullying. These cyber bullies mask themselves behind fake online profiles and live the alternate internet life just to bully innocent people and send and propagate hate messages. Trolls they are often called. You see them trying to take over threads online quite often. Its best to ignore them. Some people get off on, or get a natural high from, arguing and bullying people online.
Famous Online Catfishing Incidents
Take for example the case of Amina Arraf, a false identity created by a person named Tom MacMaster. MacMaster lived Amina’s life for about 6 years before she was revealed to be a hoax. In an interview, MacMaster claimed, he felt strongly about all things in the Middle East and wanted to take part in discussions about Middle East politics and civil movements but, as an American, he was often trolled in such discussions.
Online Catfish Tactic Deployed
So, he created an alternate identity of Amina Arraf, a lesbian Syrian blogger and revolutionary, to provide authority to his views and opinions on the Middle East. Following the criticism and backlash due to the abduction of Amina in Syria, as posted by ‘her cousin’ on her blog, A Gay Girl in Damascus, it was revealed that there was no Amina Arraf at all. The picture on her blog belonged to a woman from London, with no Syrian Ties.
What is Catfishing Online Used for?
Scamming people out of money or gifts
Another popular case of what was cat fishing online was that of Ruth Palmer. Someone had created a fake profile that goes by the name, Leah Palmer that is an exact copy of Ruth’s life. The catfish has been using Ruth’s pictures and other details of her life along with that of Ruth’s mother and a friend.
The online catfisher, Leah Palmer, even held long romantic relationships with many men, while talking to them on the phone and accepting gifts from them as Leah. The impostor lived Ruth’s life as Leah for three years before Ruth found out, and thus, reported the same to Facebook. What happened then was Facebook blocked the impostor’s account.
Hard to press charges
However, the impostor created a new account, again with all of Ruth’s pictures, the next day. In spite of this, Ruth was not able to press charges against the catfish. Why? Because, according to law, it was no crime. In this case, the catfish seems to be heavily obsessed with Ruth’s life. This might sprout from the low self-esteem of the impostor along with the feeling of self-hate. This then leads them to want to appear more beautiful or intelligent in order to gain acceptance.
How do I know if I am being Catfished Online?
The popularity of online dating sites has made cat fishing more common. Many victims don’t talk or share their experience because they are too embarrassed of the fact that they were being duped.
With the number of cases growing at an alarming rate, noticing a few signs can help you from being one of the victims-
What are the Tactics Used for Cat Fishing Online
How to Protect Yourself: Know the Catfishing Signs:
- They will avoid video chats or meetings- In other words, they won’t show their face. If you have met someone online recently who seems sweet but always have an excuse ready when you ask for a video chat or a meeting, beware that person might be a catfish.
- New account with incomplete details – A catfish doesn’t have many pictures or posts on his or her account. Watch out if the account seems to be new as well. There might also be long gaps and inconsistencies in posts as well.
- Online chat timings- Either the catfish is always online or he or she might appear only during fixed periods of time. This occurs generally at night. A catfish might also refrain from sharing their phone number or alternative way of contact.
- Personal Details- A catfish might share personal emotional made up details of their life in order to gain your trust. This occurs after having only a few conversations with you. It helps them gain your sympathy and trust and exploit your vulnerability.
- Flattery- This is an important sign. Generally, a person is so much self absorbed, it’s hard to see through someone else’s flattery. If a person you recently met online is praising you way too much, try to see through it. The person might be a catfish.
What is Cat Fishing Online Like?
People can choose to create fake online personalities due to many reasons, but what does it actually feel like to talk to innocent people and make them believe in and buy in on your fake identity? Do the cat fishers realize the way they are affecting someone else’s life and playing with their trust? Do they care? Idiots that is all they are.
All of us wonder about the same thing when we come across a cat fishing incident. While different people have different reasons to be a catfish, some make fools of their victims just for the “fun”of it. A group of boys created a fake profile with a girl’s name and used it to talk to other boys of their school and later laughed about those conversations.
People suffering from low self esteem hide behind their charming online identities to make new friends and make others like them. They feel their real self to be so hideous that they could only meet new people by hiding behind their fake identities.
Its an Obsession
While for some, cat fishing is just an extension of their obsessiveness with an individual. These catfishes want to know how it feels to be a particular, apparently popular, person. A girl has been living the life of the sister of Louis Tomlinson, a One Direction band member, Lizzy, just to get attention and live a popular life on social media.
For some, cat fishing is just a way to get easy money and gifts. They convince their victims to trust them and intimidate them into buying them gifts and giving them money.
To get others to believe in the online identity a person has created is very important for a catfish, primarily because, that’s how a catfish wants their life to be. Coming across as a trustworthy person by having believable conversations is just the way to do so.
How does it feel to be a Catfished Online Victim?
Imagine, the person you fell in love with and have been talking for hours and sharing little snippets of your life for months, and sometimes even years (!), is not really the person they claim they are. The idea of being in a relationship with a non-existent person is painful and it’s often difficult to overcome the experience and start trusting strangers again. The experience of being catfished takes an emotional toll on the victim and is traumatic. Sometimes, the victims are way too embarrassed that they got duped to even talk about it.
There was a case in Illinois court where a cat fishing online victim had a nervous breakdown and attempted suicide. She later sued the catfisher for inflicting emotional distress.
“Catfish MTV” – The Documentary Explained
Catfish is an American documentary released in the year 2010 directed by Henry Joost. The story follows the life of a young New-York photographer, Yaniv “Nev” Schulman, who first befriends a child prodigy artist, 8 years old Abby Pierce from Michigan, and later broadens his circle to include Abby’s family- her mother Angela, her sister, Megan and her father, Vince.
Nev soon started talking to Megan and fell in love with her. Later, he uncovers some of the lies Angela, Abby and Megan told him. Nev decides to travel to Michigan with his sibling Ariel and learns that Abby doesn’t paint and Megan doesn’t exist! It was Angela who maintained all the fake Facebook accounts and she used to send her paintings to Nev in Abbey’s name.
A Catfish Has His Job Explained
Vince, Angela’s husband, while talking to Nev, explained the title “Catfish” by telling him a story about how when cods were transported to Asia, they are shipped with catfishes to pick at their tails to keep them active, so that the meat remains fresh even after days of transporting.
He further explained to Nev that we all have persons in our life who keep us active and on our feet, concluding that Angela was such a person in Nev’s life, hence, the catfish.
Catfish was very well received by the critics and has an 80% rating on Rotten Tomatoes and on 7.1 rating IMDB. Post the success of the documentary, the Schulmans brothers teamed up to produce a television series with the same name to help people entangled in online relationships with persons they have never met.
MTV Catfish The Show
The first season of MTV Catfish premiered on November 2012. After the success of the documentary of the same same, Nev Schulman teamed up with Max Joseph to create the TV Show for investigating the probable catfishes. The show depicts how complex it is to find love online, today, that is authentic. It features real life catfish victims and the catfish themselves. The series is directed by David Metzler, John DeTarsio and Adam Heydt.
Most episodes usually begin with Nev and max receiving a request from a person who is in an online relationship. Sometimes for months or even years with persons they haven’t met or seen and who feels that he or she is being Catfished online. Nev and Joseph then investigate the identity of the catfish and help the requester by finding the identity and authenticity of their online love. The show is currently in its 6th season and is constantly gaining popularity.
Catfishing season 8 On Sale Now
Internet Dating Sites Ripe for What Cat Fishing is Online
With the flood of online dating sites, internet seems to be a go to place to find love. So many people are looking to find love online and the anonymity internet offers, therefore, it’s easy to get entangled with people and relationships we might never think possible. As a result the number of people being subject to cat fishing online and getting catfished is dramatically increasing at a higher rate.
In fact most of the active internet users online can recall at least one incident when they were being catfished. The smart ones notice the signs early and beat the catfish at their own games, however, those who are vulnerable and lack experience with the online dating world, fell in the trap and maintain months or years of relationship with fake profiles and pictures. MTV Catfish help those persons to see through the lies their online girlfriend or boyfriend is telling them.
Catfish MTV Cast
Yaniv Nev Schulman and Max Joseph are the regular cast members of the show and work as the identity fraud investigators on the show. They investigate the supposed “Catfish” and try to find their true identity. The show casts the real persons who were being catfished online along with the real catfish. The show’s producers get the filming permissions from the all the persons involved before the shooting begins of course to make it legal to air.
MTV Catfish Seasons
The show is continuously gaining popularity especially with catfish victims and they are opening up about their own experiences. However, due to the popularity of the show, it’s getting difficult for Nev and Max to find the people who were being catfished for real. The show producers have encountered people who have created a fake profile only to get a chance to appear in the show MTV Catfish.
The show premiered on the 1st March 2017.
MTV Catfish TV Series Overview
| Seasons | No. of Episodes | Feature date |
Season 1 | 12 | Nov’12 – Feb’13 |
Season 2 | 16 | June’13 – Oct’13 |
Season 3 | 10 | May’14 – july’14 |
Season 4 | 19 | Feb’15 – Aug’15 |
Season 5 | 20 | Feb’16 – Sept’16 |
Season 6 | 8 | March’17 – Ongoing |
Catfishing MTV Show Cast
Best MTV Catfish episodes Season 01
- Joe and Kari Ann Season 01 Episode 07 –
Joe has been dating a girl, Kari Ann, who claims to be a former Miss United States Teen. Nev and Max convinced the catfish to meet Joe. Kari Ann turned out to be Joe’s High School friend, Rose, who admitted to have feelings for Joe. Rose also admitted that she has been online catfishing for years and was a pro.
Best MTV Catfish episodes Season 02
- Lauren and Derek (Season 02 Episode 04) –
Lauren has been talking to Derek for 8 years after she met him on MySpace. Derek has supported Lauren in many tough times, including when she had a baby with her ex boyfriend, but, whenever Lauren asks for a video chat, Derek always has an excuse ready. Nev and Max investigated into it and found that everything about Derek, from his pictures to identity, was real. This is so far the only case in Human Catfishing online, when the “Catfish” was actually a genuine person.
- Ramon and Paola Season 02 Episode 03 –
They started a relationship with each other after meeting her on facebook. He has also sent her $2000! As well as many gifts and his bank account details. Though they have video chatted once and Paola told Ramon that she is actually Loyda, Ramon refused to believe her. Lyoda bought an engagement ring with the money Ramon sent her and told her friends that Ramon proposed to her!
- Artis and Jess Season 02 Episode 09 –
Artis thought he was dating a girl named Jess and was even ready to leave his wife and THREE childen for Jess, a girl he has never seen. Jess turned out to be a man named justin who acted like a “Relationship Vigilante” exposing people who cheat in relationships.
- Keyonnah & Bow Wow Season 02 Episode 14 –
Keyonnah thought she had been chatting with a rapper Bow Wow, who even sent her $10,000 to help her with financial issues. Bow Wow turned out to be a girl named Dee, an aspiring rapper.
Best MTV Catfish episodes Season 03
- Lucille and Kid Cole Season 03 Episode 14 –
Lucille thought she was speaking to a rapper named Kidd Cole, who told her he works with Kayne West and Robin Thicke. Kidd Cole Offered Lucille a job and disappeared leaving her with huge financial debts. Lucille turned out to be a scammer who has apparently fooled many people. Nev and Max exposed him to be a scam artist.
Best MTV Catfish episodes Season 05
- Kayla and Courtney Season 05 Episode 10 –
Kayla’s dad shot her mother when she was two and later committed suicide. Years later Kayla receives a friend request on Facebook from Courtney. Kayla then claims to be a psychic in touch with Kayla’s father’s soul for 5 years. It turned out that Courtney wasn’t really lying about her identity. Nev and max helped Kayla meet Courtney.
- Spencer and Katy Season 05 Episode 15 –
Spencer thought he was dating Katy Perry. A girl named Harriet has been online catfishing as Katy Perry. However, when Spencer was told the truth, he refused to believe saying Katy Perry had made a fake profile. This was done with Harriet’s name to keep their relationship a secret! Talk about denial…
The Reunion Show at the end of the Catfish season
After the end of each Catfish season there is a special reunion show. This is for the people from that season to come together and answer questions. They talk about the effects this “catfish” revelation had on them. Many people end up being friends with their former online catfish. However in some cases the revelation had turned out to be pretty nasty. Thus, destroying the relationships, and leaving victims with serious trust issues.
MTV Catfish: Pre and Post Filming
Some viewers call the show scripted and fake. They claim that the producers have already known the real Catfish and there wasn’t really an investigation taking place, like shown. In an interview, the producers accepted the fact that they know who the online catfish are beforehand.
They do this in order to request them for filming rights. The producers also added that Nev and Max, the identity fraud investigators in Catfish really do a real investigation. They track things down because they are not told about the identity of the catfish beforehand. In some investigations, they even end up going in the completely wrong directions.
Guilty Conscience: Cat fishing Online Pros Coming Clean
In many of the cases, it is the Catfish who contacts the team first. They do this in order to end their double life and make a confession. This is much more true rather than the victim, as is mostly showed in the episodes. The team says, Nev and Max get involved at the last stage. This is for after they have acquired the filming permissions from both the victims and the catfish. Then they prepare to begin the TV shoot.
Catfish MTV Provides Therapy
The best thing about MTV Catfish is they make sure that the catfish and the victim take therapy. This helps them deal with the underlying issue they are facing afterwards, mostly trust and betrayal. According to Nev, there is always some deep rooted issue the catfish is usually going through.
This makes him or her build a web of lies around themselves. So, far they haven’t found a Catfish who was just being a sociopath. The Catfish team makes sure both the victims and the impostor get proper therapy after the shooting ends.
What is Catfishing Online Conclusion: Have you been Catfished?
So are you Being Catfished? Have You Been A Victim of Cat fishing? Do you think if someone is catfished it is ok? Should people not be so so naive or gullible? If someone does not want to talk to you direct via phone or on Skype, then dump them fast. If you don’t dump them then remember your just playing a catfishing game. Just don’t get caught up emotionally. Guys are out cat fishing to get more sex and here’s how they do it.
Lets hear your take on it in the comments. What about cat fishing online for fun?
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Thanks, great article.