Cybersecurity is a complex and ever-evolving subject. Just when you feel you may have understood a majority of common threats looming on the internet, something new comes up. Catfishing, for instance, may be a new term for many and you’re perhaps one of those regular internet and social media users who isn’t too familiar with catfishing and what exact damage catfish can cause.

In this blog, we get into the details of catfishing, the motives of online catfish and most importantly, how you can protect yourself from them.

Catfishing involves a person using information and images to create a false identity for themselves on the internet.

A catfish can sometimes steal another person's full identity, including date of birth, photos, and geographical location, and pretend it’s their own. They then use the fake identity to trick others into doing business online or associating with them.

Catfishing is extremely common amongst dating app users as well. A catfish may pose as someone they’re not and trap others into romance scams.

It’s important to note that not all catfish are cybersecurity threats. Many people may catfish due to insecurities regarding who they are, mental instability, feelings of revenge, desire to experiment with sexual preferences, more. While some catfish may not be malicious, many are fraudsters and perpetrators of cybersecurity scams against their targets.

How exactly do catfish scams work? Catfish trap unsuspecting targets to believe in their false identity and can extract vital, sensitive information in the process. Many can straight off ask for money and others may get precious credentials out of you. They may then use this sensitive information for monetary gains and in some extreme cases to unleash further sophisticated cyber-attacks or ransomware attacks against a business or organisation you may be associated with.

While catfish are definitely out there in hoards and their intentions can range from impish to malicious, the only way to really deal with them is to know how to protect yourself from them.