“Fake online profiles” instantly brings to our mind those dirty rotten lowlifes known as scammers. Degenerates who sell illusions and leave their victims hoodwinked, embarrassed, furious and out of pocket. Now we’ve discovered another class of bottom feeder dubbed catfish who lure people into relationships with fake profiles. Some catfish appear to get off on control and manipulation for its own sake.
This particular story introduced and seared catfishing into our memories: Catching a catfish – ABC News
A young woman impersonates a man and toys with the emotions of two innocent female strangers, causing severe mental anguish to one victim that it led to suicide.
The question bouncing around in our head:
How does anyone have the will and energy to push a lie to that degree on an innocent?
After that tale faded from memory, we had forgotten about catfishing until we watched a YouTube panel discussing this article:
A married woman discovered that she and her husband weren’t guided together by fate, but that he manipulated the critical social elements in her life to steer her into his arms. Naturally, she felt uncomfortable about the revelation.
If we had to guess her grievances:
- he played her like a harp,
- she would never feel secure again about his end game since he ably demonstrated a long con
- would any decision she make truly be her own if he can manipulate her experiences/thoughts (using paid actors, if necessary) to achieve his agenda?
- he put so much effort into his pursuit of her that it reeked of obsession
- lines of decency were crossed
- surveillance, reconnaissance, paid actors, scheming
In the first article the catfish was clearly malignant, manipulating to the point of fatal consequence, while the second described an unethically self-serving catfish. Naturally, our cynical selves slump in our seats with renewed disgust and contempt for what lurks out in the world and online.