When it comes to online dating, there are times when a guy just seems too good to be true. And sometimes, that’s exactly the case. In today’s episode of RediscovHer, Mary Beth talks about a topic every woman should be aware of when online dating - catfishing. 

What is catfishing?

• Catfishing is when someone pretends to be someone else on the internet by using pictures or names to come across as another person.
• It could also be lying about your wealth, job, or other aspects of your life that would change the way you’re perceived by the people talking to you.

Mary Beth has experienced men catfishing her.

• When Mary Beth first started online dating, she didn’t know the warning signs that a man was claiming to be someone he wasn’t. 
• The man was good-looking, but there were only 2 pictures. He claimed to be from a European country and had a couple of red flags that Mary Beth didn’t yet know to look for.

How to Catch a Catfish:

He was always going out of town or about to go out of town. (Difficult to meet)

Catfishing guys for some reason say they’re in construction, engineering, an orthopedic surgeons or in the military

From a European country and went to a European school

On Facebook, never trust a guy whose name isn’t correct. If they say “oh, my name is actually something else” that should be a big red flag

One guy said he worked at a mission base camp in Syria.

If that’s true - why is he in the US?

Pay attention to the pictures

Be on the lookout for grainy pictures. However, as scammers become more proficient they’ll steal better pictures, so be sure you know who you’re speaking to.

Another flag is if the person has an accent or language that doesn’t match where they live or are from.

Once she spots a catfish, occasionally Mary Beth will play along to see if there’s a pattern

They will send pre-written paragraphs about themselves when you first start talking.

If they delete themselves from your queue once you start talking to them, that’s another indication

Mary Beth thought she was talking to a scammer, so Mary Beth asked him to take a picture of himself with the newspaper. 

When communicating, not only did they send a long paragraph describing themselves, they would also use a lot of phrases repeatedly. For Mary Beth, it was “I want an honest, caring woman.”

What to do if you run into a scammer or find someone you think might be a scammer.

Scars - The Official Romance Scams - the encyclopedia of romance scams and cybercrime. 

The Woman Behind the Smile.com to read the story of Mary Beth’s friend, a woman who lost over 1 million to a scammer

People have been financially and emotionally hurt by these instances.

Don’t give money to ANYBODY, no matter the sob story. Don’t give out any of your personal information. Try to meet a guy within the first week or two. Have a phone call before meeting someone.

MB knows a woman who was married, and her husband left her a lot of money. She had a handyman, and he was a great guy. They got married, and she paid for everything, including vacations and stuff. 

A few years later, it was determined he embezzled at least 300,000 dollars from her and setting it aside.

Moral of the story? Be careful. Protect yourself.