Catfish

What is catfishing and how to deal with it ?

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Today on the internet, while we are drowned in over-information, we must beware of false rumors and catfishing that circulate on the net. But first of all what is the catfishing ?
It is a phenomenon more and more present and the net and in particular in the "chat rooms". It is the act of pretending to be someone you are not in order to coax your victim and extract compromising photos, sexual favors, personal information or to arrange a meeting. Some catfishing is obviously more dangerous than others, some are harmless but others can be fatal. For example, there has been a meeting between a victim (often a minor) and a catfish, resulting in a sexual assault, an abduction, a physical assault, theft or murder.

Catfishing or fake news ,that can lead to viruses, circulate more and more on networks and even now on our sms. But how to deal with it and no longer be tricked ?

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1. Analyze the picture

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The first thing to do to prevent false information or false identity is to analyze the photo. Fake profile writers are used to recovering a photo of a real person, known or unknown, to identify themselves. Reverse search should verify source, to do this you can save the profile image and submit it to a search engine, like google for example. Then you compare the results. This research could allow you not only to thwart the subterfuge, but also to discover who is the person whose identity has been impersonated.

In the case of a fake news you can check if the image or the video has been retouched. You can for example make sure that the photo has not already been used in other information thanks to the Google image search tool. You can also use software like Fotoforensics.com or Forensically which try to determine if an image has been touched up or not.

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2. Take a closer look

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There are always certain details that betray a false identity or a fakes news. In the case of a false profile you can look at his number of friends, if he seems a little low it is probably a catfish. You can also watch his activities and likes on his wall, or inspect his personal information. It is important to wonder about the source.

In case of false information, you should inquire about the author, if he is easily identifiable, if the source is official and well known. It is important to wonder about the source. You can also see if the other broadcast or press channel or also retry the information in question. And obviously you have to pay attention to the quality of the writing and grammar errors

 

3. Ask questions

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This advice applies especially to catfish, you can ask simple, direct and strategic questions to the person behind the potential false profile. These questions can for example relate to geographic details, like his place of birth, residence or still working. This will test the validity of the information put forward on the suspect profile.

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4. Get help

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In the case of fake news, to facilitate your work as an investigator, there are also several sites dedicated to tracking down false information and computer hoaxes like www.hoaxbuster.com for exemple. These collaborative platforms are constantly on the lookout to find false information. Do not hesitate to consult them before relaying any information.

Now you have more tools at your disposal to defend yourself against Catfishing and fake news, but don't think you are invulnerable because these techniques are not insurmountable. The important thing is to always be on the lookout and also to use common sense, this is often enough to unmask some deceivers.