MADISON, WI (WHBL) — Valentine’s Day is Friday, and it’s expected to be a good day for “catfishing” in Wisconsin. That’s not a good thing; this “catfishing” is the act of deceiving someone online.
A “catfish” assumes a fake identity, starts an online relationship with someone, and gains their trust. With trust established, the catfish usually sets a trap that swindles people out of money. That’s an especially big problem in Wisconsin, according to the website bestvpn.org. Their figures show that Wisconsin is the 3rd most dangerous state for catfishing, behind Alaska and Nevada judged by our rate of 6.7 cases and losses of over $96,000 for every 100,000 persons.
A catfisher often sets up a fake profile in a dating app, starts a relationship and then starts asking for money – often in order to make a trip to meet the victim – which never happens. Bestvpn.org says to never, ever send money, don’t give out sensitive information, beware of talking away from the dating app and research the person online.
You’ll find more information here.
