Social media is filled with over 4.8 billion people. It has entertaining content such as vlogs, tutorials, comedy, drama, dance, etc. A lot of the content can be found on famous apps such as YouTube, Instagram, TikTok, Snapchat and Twitter. Social media does not just have entertaining content though, there are negative things such as catfishing.

Catfishing occurs when a scammer creates a fake profile pretending to be someone, they’re not to lure people in to steal from them. Users can get catfished by receiving messages from unknown accounts on social media apps or by clicking on clickbait. Clickbait occurs when users click on a link to win or purchase something. It results in either getting a virus on the device or never actually obtaining the product.

You can find clickbait on videos where people say they just won a thousand dollars or more and if you want to win click on the link in their bio.

According to the Federal Trade, between 2022 and 2023 users who got catfished worldwide lost an average of eight billion dollars.

The most common ways people lose money to catfishing according to Zipdo.com are investment frauds, dating fraud false billing, employment fraud and identity theft. 275 million dollars were lost to investment frauds, 33 million dollars were lost to dating frauds, 26 million dollars were lost to false billing, 23 million dollars were lost to job and employment frauds, 13 million dollars were lost to threat and eight million to identity theft.

The most common age to fall for catfishing is those 50 and up with 78 percent, the second is those 18 to 30 with 68 percent, the third group is those 41 to 50 with 55 percent and the group who is least likely to fall for catfishing is people ages 31 to 40 with 54 percent, according to legaljobs.com.

For kids 17 and younger most of the catfishing occurs on apps such as Roblox and Fortnite. According to statisia.com, Roblox has 70 million players 60 percent are 16 and under, 38 percent are 17 or older and Fortnite has 500 million players 85 percent are 18 and up and 15 percent are 17 or younger.

With many adults on a lot of the same apps as teens and kids, it leaves room for them to catfish children and lead them into dangerous situations such as giving up confidential information or it can even lead to the child being kidnapped.

According to Gitnux.com, 85 percent of all child kidnappings were caused by social media. While catfishing makes social media a dangerous place, there are ways to prevent it. Do not follow newly created accounts that you do not know, do not click on any links on random pages and if a random person or a hacked account text you asking for your cash app block them.

Catfishing also occurs in relationships, people take advantage of their partner using a fake identity and steal from them, catfishers can use their real identity and steal behind their partner’s back.

This will not be the end of catfishing, in 2027 it is predicted that most catfishers’ profiles will be A.I generated according to Forbes.