Dating apps and online dating sites like Tinder, Bumble, Zoosk, or Hinge help you meet new people, but the potential risks can’t be ignored. Catfishing is one of the problems.

We’ve found so many people asking for help online, not only for themselves but also for their family members and friends. There are the top 3 questions:

1. Whether they’re being catfished
2. How to find the true identity of the person
3. How to move on

Don’t worry, this post is here to help you solve the problems.

How to find out if someone is a catfish

I would suggest people who are using dating apps do a background search when they’re interested in someone.
If you want to know with 100% certainty that the person you’re connecting with online is REAL and doesn’t mind the cost, you can hire specialists to run a background check for you. The search specialists have access to thousands of public data sources and use the same software and technology used by the FBI. That’s why they can guarantee your results.

Hiring a specialist costs a lot, try methods that provide services to help you find the truth at a reasonable price.

Method 1. Search for the person on Truthfinder

Catfish usually use fake profiles, sometimes they use other people’s information to attract victims on the internet. To find out the truth, you need a powerful people search tool like TruthFinder.

Truthfinder is one of America’s most trusted background-check services that cross-references data collected from public records and social media sites. You can get detailed information by searching for a name or a phone number. You’ll see secret photos, phone numbers for dating sites, and social media profiles.

1) Go to the TruthFinder official website.

2) Enter the person’s name, city, and state, then hit Search. 

3) Follow the on-screen instructions and wait for a few minutes. Truthfinder will secure the search process and search for relevant data.

4) Once it locates a match, it’ll generate a report containing all the available phone numbers, email addresses, photos, and social media profiles linked to the phone number.
You’ll find out if you’re being catfished or not.

Method 2. Run a reverse image search

Catfishing is a process in which someone uses other people’s photos to create a fake profile and tries to lure victims into a relationship. Therefore, a reverse image search would help you identify whether the person is a catfish or not.
SocialCatfish.com uses image metadata and proprietary technology to scan millions of social profiles, including the biggest and most popular sites, so you can get the most publicly available results in one place.

SocialCatfish has an accurate search feature that will show you if the image you have is used anywhere else online. It has helped people to identify scammers and keep users away from bad situations.

1) Go to SocialCatfish.com.

2) Browse and upload an image from your device then click Search.

3) Wait a second you’ll get a search result. Click View Report.

4) Check the report to see if you’re chatting with a catfish.

Method 3. Find the true identity of the person with BeenVerified

The people search service is a great tool to help you find the true identity of the person. With a Name/Email/Phone number/Address, you can find the person’s comprehensive report. Then you’ll know whether a person is a catfish or not.

BeenVerified is a powerful people search tool that specializes in finding people. Simply entering the person’s information (e.g. phone number), you’ll get a comprehensive report including the full name, current addresses, marriage records, social media profiles, criminal records, and more. It’s a great tool to find the person you meet on dating websites/apps.

Enter the phone number into the search box below to find social profiles in seconds, or you can try a people name search step-by-step.

Social Media Search

Lookup phone numbers on 55+ social networks.

1) Go to BeenVerified.

2) Type in the Name and hit Search.

3) Wait for BeenVerified to search the databases. Once done, you’ll see a comprehensive report associated with the input information.

You can also use the BeenVerified app (available for both iOS and Android devices) to find someone on Tinder by phone number safely and legally.

Method 4. Search the person with PeopleFinders

PeopleFindersis another professional people finder that aims to provide you with fast, accurate, and hassle-free people lookup. Peoplefinders allows you to fill in as much information as you have on hand to narrow down the searches and provide an accurate report. Therefore, you can find a Tinder account if he or she does have one under their name) in just one go.

1) Go to the People Finders official page.

2) Type in the phone number and hit Search.

3) You’ll get the up-to-date information you need such as the name, address, and other pertinent background info about the phone number’s owner.

Method 5. Run a Google image search

Run a Google image search to find the photo owner. Then check the information, like name, region, age, address, etc. If the photo belongs to another person, you may meet a catfish.

1) Save the photo on your PC.

2) Open Google and click Images.

3) Click the camera icon.

4) Click Upload an image > Choose File.

5) After uploading the file, Google will show you the result.

Am I being catfished?

Am I being catfished? Once you have this idea come into your mind, trust yourself, it’s very possible that there’s something wrong with the person.

Here are the warning signs you should pay attention to:

Sign 1. They have various social media platforms but don’t use Snapchat

Snapchat is a popular social media platform, but if the person you’ve spoken to is active on various dating apps but doesn’t use Snapchat, this could be suspicious.

Why Snapchat is important? It’s because Snapchat can share “live selfies”. This feature makes it impossible to use images taken from other people’s accounts.

Action:

Ask for a Snapchat and see what they reply. If they refuse your request, saying they don’t use Snapchat, they don’t see the point, or they add you on it but refuse to send you a photo of themselves, you are being catfished.

If a person only posts photos from a camera roll on a Snapchat account, they might be. a catfish. Ask the person for real-time photos.

Sign 2. Never meet in person and no video contact

A catfish will escalate to love very quickly. It may be normal to some people, however, if you only speak with the person online without photos and voice or never meet in person, this could be suspicious. Catfish don’t post videos with their voice or videos of themselves in general. Also, a catfish will avoid video chat and meet in person.

Action:

Ask for videochat like Facetime. A catfish will say no or delay the video chat. If they don’t accept a video chat but ask you out for coffee, you can accept the invitation and wait.

A catfish will try to delay the appointment by claiming they don’t have a vacation or pretend to be traveling or visiting relatives and not able to meet.

Sign 3. Their story seems too good to be true

They usually made up fictional personas with successful life: great careers, wild and interesting life, luxury cars and hotels, etc. When you meet a person and the profile looks too perfect to be true, pay attention to the person, you might meet a catfish.

Action:

Do a background search.

Sign 4. They ask for money

When a person you’ve spoken to only online starts asking you for money, it might be a catfish scandal. Don’t ignore the alarm bell, the person might be a catfish and trying to steal your money.
They usually start with a small request, such as borrowing your money to cover their phone bill. Once a catfish knows that you’re willing to It may appear to be a small request at first; a loan to cover their phone bill etc but, typically, once a catfish knows that you’re willing to pay for the money, they’ll keep asking.

Action:

Personally, I suggest don’t trust anyone online who brings money into the relationship. No matter if they’re trying to borrow some money or ask you to loan to people. Remember, NO loans to people who you haven’t met in person. That’s the golden rule.

If you want solid proof, run a background check. Here’s how:

1) Go to BeenVerified.

2) Select a type of search according to the information you have in hand. Then type in the information and hit search.

3) Wait for BeenVerified to search the databases. Once done, you’ll see a comprehensive report associated with the information you input.

You can also use the BeenVerified app (available for both iOS and Android devices) to find someone on tinder by phone number safely and legally.

What are catfishing & Tinder scams?

If you don’t know what’s catfishing, just remember it’s a kind of fraud. To be specific, catfishing is a process that which someone uses other people’s photos to create a fake profile and tries to lure victims into a relationship. Most catfishing is trying to get financial gain, but sometimes, the practice may be used to upset a victim, or for wish fulfillment as well.

If you’re using dating apps, you may have heard about Manda Tinder Scam. These text messages are scams. The scammers behind the text pretend to be a lady who has met their potential victims recently on a dating website and ask them if they would like to meet in person.

The message looks like this:

hi is this Doug? its Mandy, we spoke on bumble before when I came down to hang with my aunt but we neber met 4 coffee. Im back in town again if you still want to actually go out while I'm here, are you free?

They also sent a picture of a blond woman.

If you respond to the texts, the scammers will find an excuse not to meet in person and convince you to send money or sign up with adult websites that will charge you a fee.

The best strategy is to ignore the message and delete it.

How to move on

It’s hurt if you’re being catfished. You’re the victim and you’ll need help from others. Getting emotional support from your families and friends is a good option.

If you don’t have the courage to tell your family members or close friends, you can share your story on the Catfish Reddit group anonymously. This group will tell you what’s catfish and give you emotional support. Also, share the catfish you meet and help others away from scams.

Or, you can find websites that provide emotional support. The list below may help:

• Victim Support has a 24/7 free helpline.
  Tel: 0808 16 89 111
• Mind Infoline has a support line available 9 am-6 pm, Monday to Friday.
  Tel: 0300 123 3393.
• Elefriends is a supportive online community.

In short, doing a background search before you fall in love with someone you’ve met online can protect you from being catfished. If you’ve been catfished, you need to get out of the relationship as soon as possible. Your close friends and family would support you.

Hope this post would help. If you have suggestions or stories want to share with us, you’re welcome to drop a comment below.

By Iris Zheng

Iris is a writer who covers almost everything from beauty to technology, fitness, home decoration and etc. No matter what she wrote, she always brings true and useful information for readers.

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