Catfishing

A scam in which someone creates a fake identity, often on dating apps or social media sites, to trick others into a relationship or financial scams.

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The term catfish was popularized by a 2010 documentary. One man compared online deception to the act of placing catfish in cod tanks to keep the cod active (or on edge).

Recent trends

AI has become a powerful weapon in catfishers' tool belts. Thanks to deepfake technology and realistic AI image generators, scammers can create realistic fake personas to trick victims. AI chatbots can also mimic human conversation to help avoid detection.

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Catfishing

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