How to catch a catfish
Run five checks: search their photos, ask for a photo they can’t fake, ask for a video call, check their story against what’s public, and watch what happens when money or meeting comes up. Two or three failures together is your answer.
1. Search their photos
Save the clearest photo of their face and run a face search. If the same face appears under another name, on a model’s page or on a stock-photo site, you’ve found the catfish.
Try two or three different photos. Catfish often mix pictures from more than one person.
2. Ask for a photo they can’t fake
Ask for a selfie doing something specific, right now: holding a spoon, three fingers up, or your name on a piece of paper. A real person can do it in a minute.
Watch for delays, “my camera is broken”, or a photo that looks like it came from a different day.
3. Ask for a video call
Suggest a two-minute call at a time that suits them. Someone using another person’s photos will keep finding reasons not to, or join with the camera off.
4. Check their story against what’s public
- Does the name they gave match a real social account with friends, tags and years of history?
- Does the job, school or city they mention show up anywhere?
- Do the people in their photos ever tag them, or comment?
- Is their profile new while their photos look years old?
5. Watch what happens around money and meeting
A catfish who wants money will bring up a problem that only you can solve. One who is hiding for other reasons will keep postponing any meeting. Both patterns repeat, so give it time and watch.
What to do once you’ve caught a catfish
- Stop sending money, photos or personal details.
- Screenshot the profile and chats before you say anything.
- Decide whether to confront them. You don’t owe them a conversation; blocking is enough.
- Report the account on the app or site where you met.
- If you found the real person in the photos, consider letting them know: their face is being used.
- If you sent money, call your bank and report it at reportfraud.ftc.gov.