Is catfishing a crime? Should it be?

[catfished]

AIBU in thinking it should be?

Recently catfished and virtually traumatised by it. It's fraud, surely?

Wasn't even a financial motive, just a very sick twisted individual

But I can't do anything with it, there's no justice, no closure yet I feel assaulted and scared to trust anybody now ever again

I don't know, I think maybe they got scared they'd gone too far and needed me to know who they actually were

Or possibly hoped I would say. Oh that's all fine and start a relationship anyhow

They weren't normal. In any form

What do you mean by revelation video?

They sent me a video eventually while I thought I was on route to meet them... with who they really were

I don't know if catfishing is a crime, but wasn't there a case where a transman was meeting and having sex with a woman who thought they were a man but she'd agreed to be blindfolded during sex and so hadnt realised? She took him to court for tricking her into sex by lying about his identity, I think - not exactly sure what the charges were.

I think stealing other people's identity is a crime though, isn't it? And I agree catfishing should be a crime.

I've never been catfished, but my pictures have been used to catfish with. My face / candid pictures and what I assume was their genitals (or those might have been stolen too)

I would imagine any legal issues would arise with those they are impersonating, not who they're tricking. I'm sorry you went through that though, must be awful.

Catfishing is quite popular. MTV has a whole programme based on the premise of cat fishing.

Some of them I felt sorry for, others they was just plain gullible. For instance one lady believed she was actually in an online relationship with bow wow. And one man truly believed he was in an online relationship with Katy Perry.

I'm a fan of the catfish and wouldn't enter a relationship with someone online, until I verify who they are.

So many catfishers out there.

I found out through a revelation video

A what?! Is this a thing?

So they were connected to the crime in some way (historically) and were fishing for details? How did you think they knew that you knew anything about the crime, if that makes sense?

My friend found out when the online dating service messaged her to say that the person had been removed from the site. But as I said, in her case there were clear signs from the start that what the person was saying was very unlikely to be true. Also, she almost immediately contacted them off-the-site which they don't recommend.

They sound batshit crazy, a bit more than the normal catfisher. Why were they digging on a historical crime?

How did they find you?

In case they were I would rather not reveal any details. It has left me batshit terrified though

They may have had nothing to do with it... but I won't ever know

Given they were asking for info on a crime OP, I actually think the police might be interested to hear about it, assuming it was a fairly big crime. Was the perpetrator ever arrested? (Don't actually answer that!) if they weren't then it's even more concerning and I'd go to the police ASAP.

That sounds really traumatic catfished

I'm curious, how is it totally avoidable?

Remember that anyone can pretend to be anybody online. Never give more of yourself emotionally or financially than you can bear to lose. Basically, don't trust online people, always think before you divulge anything

The police are informed but I still don't have any knowledge myself and as I don't think any actual crime has been committed I doubt I will ever know anything more.

It's utterly freaked me out and the not ever knowing part... no closure on why they did this to me

it sounds really traumatic OP. I'd be utterly freaked out too. I'm glad the police know, even if they don't bloody do anything!!

Lying to get people into bed though is as old as the hills - Mr X will say he's single. Mr Y will send a photo showing he looks wonderful (it is 20 y ears old). Mr H will say his penis is very big. Ms J will not reveal she has 3 children under 1. If they say they own a house I have never regretted spending £3 to check on line with the Land Registry if they do. If they say they are a director of XYZ company you can check free on Companies House. If you date who are relatively successful like and those I would meet are then it's much easier to check them out because they have so mucho f an on line presence regarding work and public engagements but even so I would never think anything real until I had spoken on the telephone and met them.

In some of the cases people mention above an offence or breach of copyright might be committed. In a lot of cases there is none. On the other hand if someone says they are free of sexual diseases but are not and infect you then someone did recover damages in court or there is that case someone mentioned above X says they are male but are female and they have sex with you when you are blindfolded - never a good idea on a first date by the way.....