I am being catfished right now!

[qualitychat]

I received a friend request on Facebook just now. This is definitely someone catfishing me. He comes from Austin, Texas but has pigeon English. He is a Marine Engineer living in Sweden. He does a very dangerous job. He is a nice looking man, he has sent me a photo. He tragically lost his wife 5 years ago due to medical negligence. Am I wrong in stringing him alone?

If we're being pedantic, isn't it pidgin English?
(Waits to discover I'm an idiot...)

An old friend sent me a post Christmas message asking how we all were etc. this happens occasionally, so I wasn't concerned. I replied telling him about a close relative who died the previous year, so it was quite sad the first Christmas without them. His reply was Sorry for your loss, I am having trouble buying Amazon gift cards could you buy £100 and send me photos of the scratched off strip on the back.
I played along all afternoon, DD was in fits initially. Eventually I said I hoped his family were ashamed of him. DD then got worried they would track me down. I assured her they were only interested in trying to scam money.

I know it's a scam and he is after my money, if I had any.

Loving this thread slightly gutted I've not been catfished when i was on Twitter someone tried now i wish I'd played along 😂

I have strong suspicions that a distant relative of mine has started a catfishing scheme using her dead mother's Facebook account.

I am Fb friends with her mum, lets call her Mary Lastname. One day I get on my Facebook feed that Alice Fakename has changed her profile pic. Never heard of Alice before and I didn't recognise her face either. I was so confused on why Alice is on my friend's list. After clicking on her profile and scrolling through I realise it's Mary's account.

Reverse search image revealed that the beautiful woman on the profile pic is an Instagram influencer whose name is most definitely not Alice Fakename.

Currently considering whether I should contact the Instagram influencer or not. I don't even know if she will care.

They get everywhere. I play a scrabble game and they are even in there messaging
it’s got ridiculous.
I miss the one guy who was a Nigerian millionaire in my email

They really all use versions of the same story don't they?

1. Surgeon or military man (occasionally a spy)
2. Widowed
3. Are millionaires but boo hoo the money is tied up for some inexplicable reason so could you just help them out with plane tickets and they'll pay you back when the money is "released"
4. Children who have either died or are critically ill
5. Cheesy profile pic - either grinning silver fox or handsome man in military uniform (usually cuddling a dog or other pet in the photo)
6. Fall in love with you super quickly- after only exchanging a few sentences, they quickly ascertain you are the true love of their life
7. Are in a war zone, or conducting multiple and complex heart surgeries but still manage to message you 700 times a day
8. Really keen to meet up with you but damn it! every time they make arrangements to meet you their leg gets blown off by the Taliban or they get paged into theatre to conduct emergency surgery (or for the spy, they have to suddenly disappear as their cover has been blown and their life is in danger)

A bad catfish thread is just what I need 😆

He's sent me a photo of him in the pool today. I would put it on here if I knew how to do it.

Interesting- always had Auntie in my family (as a term for mother's or father's sister, not just one ancient relative handed down through generations). We're all in the UK and have been for at least two centuries*

*The families, not individuals. We're not vampires.

I haven't read all the posts and not sure where the Aunty or Auntie debate came from but I'm in Scotland and we have ways used Auntie.

Really keen to meet up with you but damn it! every time they make arrangements to meet you their leg gets blown off by the Taliban

😂

I had one of the car accident ones, they actually used a real name of a solicitor in Manchester.
I called this company to let them know their name was being used in a scam. They told me they don't do business that way, they couldn't understand I was trying to help them, they just wouldn't listen to what I was actually telling them.

He’s using ChatGPT 😂

Are you sure the account hasn’t been hacked itself rather than it being her changing it? They like to use profiles with history to look more real than a new one

These people are utter scum. It's mad that some people believe it.

They mustn't be able to believe their luck

I've been friend requested by the handsome silver fox too. First time, (many years ago), I clicked on his profile as I assumed I must know him from somewhere - otherwise why would he message me. (Thought a club, work, school, choir etc). Realised he lived abroad. Was a bit confused, assumed it was a mistake and left it. Now I know what it was. But it wd have been very easy to get sucked in.

It is so easy to get scammed. Sometimes it's obvious - but sometimes it really isn't all. And if we really think about how much we do actually take on trust in life , it's quite sobering.

So, yes, I'm of the view that the more we make it NOT worth their while, the more we publicise the tricks they use, the better we protect everyone.

He wants my phone number. I am all for scamming him but I can't work myself up to actually talk to him.

To “ car accident” man I agreed I’d had an awful accident, head injury, had lost my memory. Rambled on about the colour of the car, how old it was etc then he asked a question. I had a car accident you know, I lost my memory, it was a lovely yellow car too, ramble ramble,. After about 5 rounds of this he hung up.

I had one from Austin Texas who said he was originally from Paris! In the end started begging me to let him teach me crypto. He was a very good looking AI bot on a friendship/dating site. I use chatgpt so when he started talking like chatgpt my spidey senses started tingling! The irony is that I clicked on his profile thinking he was just a regular good looking American, and started chatting HIM up, and then when I told him I had been to Paris recently, he got really stressed out and started accusing ME of potentially being a cat fish and to prove it with a photo! 😂

It is a possibility.
Only reason I am also suspecting the daughter is because after Mary died, things were still getting posted from her profile. Things like quotes about missing her mum , asking for funding etc so she had the log in details

The daughter is kinda known for asking for money from everyone and anyone and never have worked in her life, so I wouldn't put it past her.

I've just told him I am a barrister and I am working on a big murder case. I reckon he will scarper now.

A good looking well liked doctor had to post online about scammers using his photographs to scam money off women. He has endless legal stuff, and threats sent to him from duped family members.

LOL. Then his love might turn to hate. He really hates Artie.

That's exactly whatI thought. It's a tone deaf attempt to sound learned and poetic.