catfish
verb and noun

- someone who pretends on social media to be someone different, in order to trick or attract other people

- a fish with a flat head and long hairs around its mouth, that lives in rivers or lakes

The Cambridge Dictionary

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ORIGIN

The term "catfishing" first came to light in the 2010 documentary “Catfish,” in which a 28-year-old man (Nev Schulman) describes falling in love with a young woman’s Facebook profile and her voice over the phone. He eventually discovers that the personality and voice belong to a middle-aged wife and mother.

In the film, the woman’s husband recounts the following story, which inspired the name of the film and thus created a new sense of the word catfish:

“They used to transport codfish from Alaska all the way to China. They’d keep them in tanks in the ship. By the time the codfish reached China, the flesh was mushy and tasteless. So someone came up with the idea that if you put catfish in the tanks, they will keep the cod active.”

But in reality cod and catfish could never co-exist as cod live in saltwater, and catfish live in freshwater.

A more obvious explanation of “catfishing” is where a rod and string is used to play with, or to tease, a cat.

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DIGITAL DEFENCE

In the murky waters of the internet, not all personal profiles are what they seem.

Preying on the human desire for connection and exploiting the anonymity offered by social media platforms, catfishing has become widespread. Attractive online personas—often using stolen photos and fabricated life stories—lure unsuspecting victims into emotional or financial entanglements.

Catfishers often exhibit specific behaviors that can serve as warning signs:

- They refuse to engage in video calls, citing technical issues or personal discomfort. You can often verify identities using tools like reverse-image search to check profile pictures and conduct background checks.

- Background stories may have inconsistencies or seem too perfect and social media profiles typically show few friends or followers and limited activity.

- They typically push for a deep emotional connection early in the relationship, often using flattery and affection,… and ultimately leading to requests for money!


Source:  https://www.ageuk.org.uk/information-advice/money-legal/scams-fraud/how-to-spot-a-catfish/

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SYNONYMS

beguile, CATFISH, deceive, diddle, do the dirty on, entice, ensnare, entrap, hand a line, hoodwink, inveigle, lay a trap for, lead up the garden path, lure, pull a fast one, pull a swifty on, pull the wool over someone’s eyes, put one over on, sell a pup to, shaft, soft-soap, sweet-talk, take advantage of, take for a ride, take to the cleaners

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SMUGGLE OWAD into a conversation today, say something like:

“Youngsters on online dating portals are particularly prone to getting CATFISHED.”

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THANKS to Corinna for suggesting today’s word!

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HERZLICHEN DANK to all readers helping me keep OWAD alive with single or monthly donations at:

https://donorbox.org/please-become-a-friend-of-owad-3

Paul Smith