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I remember the first time someone told me about catfishing, and I just did not understand why somebody would do that or how it would work. “Won’t the person discover the truth when they finally meet in person?” I asked, and “Well, can’t people tell when the person they’re talking to looks so perfect they can’t be real?” I was so silly and naïve. My friend had to explain to me that, many catfish never have any intention of ever meeting the people they talk to online—they just get them invested, so they can slowly start asking for money or other gifts, and then they disappear. And, as for the people being catfished who don’t pick up on the fact that the catfish’s photos are highly photoshopped and unrealistic, well, when people are lonely and desperate, they see what they want to see.
So, now that we’ve quickly gone over some of the reasons catfishing happens and the goals of catfishing, it’s easy to see how there may be an uptick of it during this pandemic, when people are lonely and losing their jobs.
With all of the time we’re spending online right now, we’re just making ourselves more vulnerable to all of the scams that take place in cyberspace. And keep in mind that people are primarily online dating right now, as that’s all they’re allowed to do, so most new interactions are happening via direct messages or online chats, texts, calls, and emails. The last thing anyone needs right now is to be duped (more than the news may already be duping us), but here are reasons catfishing may increase during the coronavirus pandemic.
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Financial need
Sadly, we know that there is a tremendous amount of financial need, as a result of the COVID-19 economic shutdown. With many waiting weeks or months to get an unemployment check, and some not even qualifying, a lot of individuals are looking for fast methods of making cash. It likely won’t be through a job, since those are slim right now, so catfishing someone into sending direct deposits is one way.
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Addictions hit harder now
Whatever one’s vice is right now – be it drinking or doing drugs or online shopping or online gambling – the temptation is likely harder during this pandemic than ever. With the stress and the worry and the isolation, it becomes harder to resist a vice. For many, catfishing is their addiction, so even if they were trying to quit before the pandemic, they may fall off the wagon during it.
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Boredom
Boredom can drive people to do crazy things. It’s not uncommon right now for people to try things about which they’ve always been curious. With the world shut down, it almost feels like nobody is watching, and we have the freedom to attempt things we’ve always wanted to try, but wouldn’t dare during our normal lives. So some may take to catfishing.
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Loneliness
As for those who are falling for the catfishing – because remember they are half the equation, and it takes two people for a catfishing scenario to happen – they are likely extremely lonely. We are all socially isolated, and so we may be more prone to falling for a catfish scam. Remember, people believe what they want to believe, and for some, the loneliness can be so bad that they wouldn’t dare question it if a gorgeous individual wanted a connection online.
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Revenge on old bosses
A lot of catfishes do it for revenge. Is there any sweeter revenge than making someone who once made you feel like a fool, feel like a fool themselves? Or harming the financial situation of someone who, in some way, harmed your financial situation? With so many people having lost their jobs due to COVID-19, some may seek revenge on the bosses that laid them off by catfishing them.
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Revenge on landlords
Landlords can also become victims of catfishing. Between tenants who aren’t getting rent breaks, commercial tenants getting evicted, and tenants even seeing rent raises during this, there could be a lot of individuals out there hoping to get back at what they perceive as greedy landlords. And catfishing, especially one that involves the sending of money to the catfish, could be a way some try to recoup their losses.
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Low self-esteem of the catfish
It’s very common that catfish do what they do because of low self-esteem. When they catfish, they get to experience how people may treat them if they looked different, and had a totally different life. If that low self-esteem was already there, it could be further aggravated by the isolation and potential job loss the coronavirus has brought, and so more catfishing may occur.
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Low self-esteem of the catfished
Those being catfished may also suffer from low self-esteem, either always, or now due to job loss from the coronavirus, or just more now. Either way, low self-esteem can put someone in a place of being extra receptive to catfishing—they want a seemingly perfect individual to come along and say, “I want you.”
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The catfish wants a mental escape
Catfishing is a form of escapism. The catfish gets to create this identity and entire life online—maybe as a catfish they have a five-bedroom lakefront villa with a pool—and if they do a good enough job convincing the other person, they almost start to convince themselves that that is their life. And with life being quite difficult for many right now, a lot of people are looking for an escape.
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The catfished also wants a fantasy world
All parties may be looking for an escape right now. The person being catfished may be in a bad situation, with little money and too many roommates and few job prospects. But the catfish comes along and presents this possibility for a better life—it’s hard to resist that temptation now.
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We want love to save us
It’s common, when people are in tough situations, to dream of some absolutely perfect romantic partner to come along and fix everything—to save them. When people feel unseen and forgotten, as many do right now, there can be fantasies of someone who shows up and just instantly loves them and showers them with attention. Well, that’s what a catfish does.
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An awareness of financial hurt
Catfish often run a financial scam, getting their victims emotionally invested in them and forming that “bond” before starting to hint that they could use some financial assistance. Right now, it is more believable than ever if someone tells you they’re financially hurting, so the catfish victims are more prone to falling for it, and sending money.
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A sense of control during no control
I think we all feel that we have the least control over our fates than we ever have. Now, all of the hard work and can-do attitude and skills and intelligence may mean squat when it comes to achieving our goals. If COVID-19 says everything must shut down, then that’s that for many of our ambitions. We feel like we have no control, but catfishing gives the catfish a sense of control—they almost get to play God in a way—and that can be intriguing to many right now.
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Resentment of the fortunate
The have-nots are resenting the haves at this time. We’re really beginning to grasp how many Americans lived paycheck-to-paycheck. Then you have the one percent who could financially survive ten pandemics, and still own a mansion. Tensions are rising between the classes, and it’s not uncommon for one to think, “I’m going to pull one over on the one percent—why should they have it all?” And so a catfish is born.
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Pre-existing social issues
In one interview with catfish, it was discovered that many of them have social issues, struggling to form connections and get along with people in real life. If someone already struggled with those issues, then the social isolation caused by COVID-19 may have aggravated those, making the urge to catfish stronger.
