Victims of catfishing still feel unable to open up about being tricked online, a mental health charity has said.
Catfishing is a deceptive practice where people create fake personas online to manipulate or exploit others.
The CEO of mental health charity, Turn2Me, Fiona O'Malley outlined how people can feel after they are catfished.
“[They can suffer] flashbacks, replaying interactions and conversations in their mind again and again,” she said.
“Nightmares, difficulties forming new relationships and the emotional trauma caused by the catfishing can linger for years.
“It can impact a person’s professional life and their personal life.”
A woman holding phone on beach, using data. Image: Oleg Elkov / Alamy Stock PhotoMs O'Malley said anyone can fall victim to catfishing.
“People who are often conned are certainly not always stupid or not always vulnerable or gullible,” she said.
“Oftentimes, people who are highly intelligent are conned and that’s another reason why people decide not to come forward.
“Because they feel stupid, because they might feel like they’ll be judged if they do admit that they’ve been the victim of any time of con.”
According to a 2021 poll by BetMinded, 20% of Britons have been catfished at least once in their life.
Among those aged between 25 and 38, the figure rose to 38%.
Main image: A picture of a man using a dating app. Picture by: Cottonbro studio for Pexels.
