Not to be confused with Catfisting.
Catfishing is a deceptive activity where a person creates a sockpuppet social networking presence, or fake identity on a social network account, usually targeting a specific victim for abuse, deception, or fraud. Catfishing is often employed for romance scams on dating websites. The practice may be used for financial gain, to compromise a victim in some way, or simply as forms of trolling or wish fulfillment. Catfishing media have been produced, often centering around victims who wish to identify their catfisher. Celebrities have been targeted, which has brought media attention to catfishing practices.
