Latest news with #catfishing
Yahoo
2 days ago
- Entertainment
- Yahoo
25 Embarrassing Screenshots Of People Who Were Caught In A Lie And Then Were Called Out For It
person who lied about buying a faulty product: person whose height kept changing: person who claimed to play video games with a member from a pop band: Related: person who was spreading false rumors about someone's employment: person who lied about donating bone marrow for some reason: person who was called out for their obvious lie about reading: person who tried to make themselves seem like a better boss than they were: person who didn't know how Tinder worked before posting on Facebook: Related: person who was called out for lying about being vaccinated: person who pretended to be immune to rabies: person who was called out after saying they hate liars: person who was called out for leaving a fake review: person who failed to think things through before concocting this story: Related: person who was called out by her own MOM for talking about her ex on Facebook: person who was called out because their age was not adding up: person who was called out for living multiple lives: person who was called out for cheating: person who was caught catfishing: person who alleged their child somehow got half their arm tattooed without them knowing: Related: person who had receipts that their DoorDasher didn't ring the doorbell: person who was called out for lying about having a master's degree: person who left out some details in their negative review they left: person who was called out by her own brother for fabricating stories: person who was called out for lying about knowing someone's boyfriend: finally, this mom who was called out for lying about their kid's baseball skills: Want more funny, weird, wholesome, or just plain interesting internet content like what you just read? Subscribe to the Only Good Internet newsletter to get all of the scrolling with none of the doom. No politics, no celeb drama, just Good Content. Also in Internet Finds: Also in Internet Finds: Also in Internet Finds: Solve the daily Crossword
The Guardian
3 days ago
- The Guardian
The heartbreak of watching a parent fall for fraud: ‘Dad, this is a scam – have you given her money?'
Bomba wasn't the first, but she exploded in our lives like a digital grenade. She's not real, I told my dad – then in his early seventies. I was in Australia at this time, where I've lived for the last 13 years. Physically speaking, he was still in California – but within himself he was adrift in a rapidly sinking lifeboat, floating in a morass of debris primarily of his own doing. But it must be said before I go further: my dad isn't the bad guy in this story. Not this time. At times, he was the bad guy in other people's stories– but that is another story. If she's not real, he countered, then how is it that we've spoken on the phone? That we video-chatted? I'll admit that threw me. In most catfishing stories the catfish goes to great lengths to avoid video chatting. But my dad being the unreliable source he was, I wasn't entirely sure he was being truthful about that detail. It was a heartbreaking thing to have to break down for my dad. My dad – who had once been a handsome, charismatic Lothario with swagger, with game – now had to be told by both of his daughters that this chic Bomba was 100% not real, not into him, not what or who she says she is. He didn't believe us. Bomba had presented herself, via Facebook, as a widow living in Naples, Florida. She and her late husband had been in the gemstone business, and she was a millionaire. A lonely millionaire at that, looking for love and companionship. She's not real, Dad. I begged him to understand. But I've seen her bank statements. Why would she show you her bank statements? Because her money is tied up in Europe, she can't access it, but she wanted me to know she has it. Dad. This is a scam. Have you given her money? Did she ask for money? Dad? DAD? Needless to say, he didn't believe me. The thing about my dad and money is that he had lived a life of great abundance and great scarcity. He'd been born into 1950's Midwestern high-society, the son of a department store titan, and then – as many of his cohort did in the sixties and seventies, he 'dropped out.' He spent most of his twenties and early thirties in the Motown music scene – he was a talented saxophone player – and in that scene he became addicted to heroin and other substances. He was a low to mid-level drug dealer himself and I am pretty sure there are things I still don't know about that time. What I do know – because I lived it – is that, while he was never what you'd call 'straight' – he did straighten out. He began the long process of untangling himself from heroin after I was born, but he'd never kick his dependence on alcohol and weed – and that taste for opioids would come back for its pound of flesh. He aimed higher. He got 'good' jobs. He started businesses. He achieved as an athlete, and was the basketball coach at my high school. For a period of time he, and those around him, flourished. He had money. And then he lost it, along with his second marriage, his house in the California mountains, his fancy RV … and his pride. By the time Bomba appeared, he was still nursing the faint hope that he might – somehow, some way – get it all back again. Even though by this time he'd burnt so many bridges he was practically an island, and was thoroughly physically incapacitated by the severe scoliosis he'd always outrun as a younger, fitter man. For the pain that the gin couldn't help, his doctors prescribed OxyContin. We'll get to that. He never admitted to sending Bomba money, but my gut says he did. I'd hoped maybe that would be the last scam, but then this happened: my dad called one afternoon to tell me that he was going to buy my husband a better boat. How, I asked? Because I've won the lottery, he said. My heart sank. Dad. It's not real. He forwarded me the documents he'd been sent – on Facebook – by some guy, let's call him Bob. One was a 'winning certificate' telling him that he'd won US$580m. I pointed out to him that I couldn't find anything online to verify it – and plenty of things to alert us to the fact this was a scam. Other things he forwarded me were full of spelling errors and other 'tells'. Still, he was intractable and unpersuadable. By this time – the time that my sister and I refer to as the whole lottery thing – or just the scam – we knew, to the penny, what my dad had left in the bank – which was about $50,000. His social security checks were paltry, and he was carefully rationing what he had left on fast-food, cheap gin, weed, and dog food and meds for his golden retriever, Sonny. What happened next took place over a period of about six weeks … maybe more, maybe less – to be honest, it's all a trauma-blur. Like clockwork, the scammers told my dad that in order to receive his winnings he had to cover the costs of the paperwork, transfer fees, insurance, and other vague items – that bill was around US$10k, give or take. He paid it. Then he was told that because they'd be delivering the $580m dollars in cash to his doorstep, he'd need to cover yet more bank fees, and the cost of the delivery itself, and various other dubious requirements – to the tune of another $10k or so. He paid that, too. When the money didn't arrive and the scammers went quiet, my dad finally understood he'd been scammed (or so we believed). The FBI got involved, only to tell him that his money was, essentially, unrecoverable. They told him the obvious: don't give them anything more and stop contact. This is where things get really weird and where my dad's fragmenting mind and broken spirit came into stark relief. Now that my dad knew he'd been scammed he was understandably furious. But because of his own days as a low-level crim who had engaged in his own scams (there's a weird story about a fake timeshare business he was a part of, and something to do with diamonds) – he was determined that he'd out-crim the crims. Somewhere in this timeline my dad had been hospitalised for the third or fourth time in as many months. We'd recently been told that he had alcohol induced brain atrophy. And there was all the oxy. And the deep well of anger, sorrow and fear. Somewhere in this timeline I'd had to call the police multiple times from my home in Australia and send them to check on my dad – who had, again, threatened suicide. Against this backdrop – my dad resumed communication with the people he knew had already stolen around US$20k from him – nearly half of all the money he had left in the world – the people the FBI had verified were, indeed, scammers. Weird, scary things happened. He threatened them. They threatened him. At one point, a plan was made to meet in a park after dark where, apparently, they were going to give him money. To this day I'm unsure as to whether my dad did, indeed, go to a park at night, wander around in his painful gait, confused, ashamed and angry, his pants too big for his dwindling frame – an image that cuts me to the bone. I was so angry with him. He was honest with me about not having cut communication – and then he relayed the fact that they were, again, asking him for money. It was, essentially, to cover the same kinds of fake costs that he'd already paid. But this time, he was sure they were going to make him whole. So he gave them the rest. All of it. Every last cent. In the last week of his life he was texting friends and family asking for $300 to send to the scammers for the petrol they said they needed to drive him his millions. In the last days, he was, quite literally, penniless. A few days after my dad died the scammers found my sister and me. We typed our outrage into the ether, screamed into the void, told them that they had blood on their hands – but we know that there was not a single person on the other end of that message. There are whole fleets. My dad was likely talking to multiple people – many of whom are probably living their own tragedies, in service of traffickers. Knowing that our experience wasn't uncommon was a cold comfort. We knew we weren't the only adult children grappling with the devastating fallout of financial scams. The scammers my dad encountered were not sophisticated, he suspended his own disbelief wilfully. But many scammers are sophisticated – their scams don't have spelling errors and inconsistencies. With AI, they are getting harder and harder for people to detect. Especially people who aren't tech savvy. As their children and loved ones, talking to them about changing their passwords and not clicking on links feels like the epitome of taking a knife to a gun fight. Financial scams aren't the only scams – I've come to see the other 'scams' that, over time, chipped away at my dad. Fox News convinced him that all of his many troubles could be blamed on immigrants, feminism, China … others. The Maga cult that conned him into thinking that Donald Trump would usher in a new era of success aimed at those who most needed it. The big pharma scam that told my dad that he could manage OxyContin – even though he'd told them he couldn't. These days, I've come to fear that the entire American project is a scam. The call is no longer only coming from shadowy figures on Facebook, it's coming from inside the house – the White House – with the President himself hawking gold bibles and bizarre coins and EFTs. My dad fell for all of that, too. There is a character in my new novel, Mother Tongue, named Eric. Eric has fallen for the Maga scam, for the Fox News scam, the Christian Patriarchy scam … but he goes down a far, far darker path than my dad did. Creating Eric was cathartic, as was creating his daughter, Jenny – who, like my sister and me, felt the sting of knowing that her father's view of the world, of women, of humanity, was so painfully distant from her own – and that it was a worldview that, if realised to its fullest potential, would cost her dearly. When I first began to draft the character of Eric, I thought I was writing about something rare, drawn from the distinct and precise experiences I'd had with my own dad. By the time I finished, it was clear that I was writing about something many children are grappling with when it comes to their susceptible parents, and my heart breaks for them, too. Mother Tongue by Naima Brown (Pan MacMillan, $16.99) is out now
CBS News
5 days ago
- CBS News
Forget ChatGPT. Tea is the most downloaded app on Apple's App Store.
The most downloaded free app on Apple's App Store currently isn't ChatGPT, Threads or Google. It's Tea, a dating advice app that lets women review men they've gone out with, as well as warn other single women about dates they claim went awry. Tea Dating Advice, an app for helping women vet their dates, is also a top app on the Google Play Store, where it's been downloaded more than 100,000 times. The app's maker says it offers a measure of security for users that traditional dating apps don't. Tea doesn't match singles with potential dates; rather, it's a place for women to share information about men they've dated. Tea lets users run background checks on potential matches, check to see if they have criminal records or appear on sex offender databases, and more, all through the app. The app also ensures that users who sign up are women by requesting that they submit a selfie for verification. That's aimed at protecting users against so-called catfishing schemes, in which people create fake online personas, often as part of a scheme to defraud others. Tea declined to comment for this article. To be sure, most of the features that Tea offers already exist. Social media forums, such as the Facebook group called "Are we dating the same guy?," also let women compare notes about their dates in a community forum. The main difference: scale. Tea has more than 1.6 million users, according to its website. "What this app seems to be doing is centralizing all that into one very large community," Doug Zytko, an associate professor at the University of Michigan-Flint who researches human-computer interactions for safety, told CBS MoneyWatch. Zytko, who has extensively studied dating app designs, said that safety "has not been prioritized" for most such tools in the market, which he said helps explain why Tea has struck a chord with women. "The dating app safety features that exist are largely reactive in nature. They're not about keeping people safe, but are punitive actions one can take after something has occurred," he added. Zytko also acknowledged the concerns of some men, voiced on forums like Reddit, that Tea users could share false information about them. "If inaccurate information about a man is being shared, that damages his dating prospects and social reputation," Zytko said. "That's scary, but it's not a reason to discount the app." Another potential risk is one common to all social media platform, and digital information more broadly. Tea confirmed to CBS News that its app was hacked Friday morning, with bad actors accessing a data storage system containing information, including selfies, that members had uploaded prior to February 2024. Additionally, hackers accessed almost 60,000 images from posts, plus comments and direct messages, the company said. "Tea has engaged third-party cybersecurity experts and are working around the clock to secure its systems," the company said in a statement, noting that it is investigating the incident. "At this time, there is no evidence to suggest that additional user data was affected."
Yahoo
7 days ago
- Yahoo
This Viral Romance Scam Cost One Man $35K—Don't Fall for It
Online dating is more and more popular these days. Not only is it convenient, but it also offers more available singles than, say, your local coffee shop. While it does make meeting new people quite easy, these platforms also give way to more scammers. And with fake profiles, excessive flattery, or someone asking you for emergency money, it's all too easy to fall into the trap. Luckily, we turned to the experts to share all you need to know about common catfishing romance scams and how to keep yourself safe. What is catfishing and why is it so common in online dating? Though catfishing isn't a new concept, it's certainly rampant in the era of online dating and social media. When you're talking to someone online and something seems a little off, you may be dealing with a catfish. 'Catfishing used to simply refer to people who deceive others into going on a date with them by presenting themselves in a false and favorable way,' says Betsy Chung, PsyD, clinical psychologist and relationship expert at RAW dating app. 'Nowadays, you see people using catfishing to gratify their own sexual desires, meet their emotional needs for a long-term relationship, have an extra-marital affair as retaliation to hurt the victim or even try for financial gain.' One man lost $35K to a catfish posing as a beauty queen Recently, a Belgian man made headlines after traveling over 400 miles to meet Sophie Vouzelaud, a French model, after they had been exchanging correspondence and cultivating a romantic relationship—only the person he was communicating with wasn't Sophie at all. The man, Michel, had been talking with who he thought was the runner-up to Miss France in 2007 for weeks—even providing the scammer with $35,000. When he arrived at Sophie's home, he was met by her husband, who broke the news to him. Though unfortunate, situations like these are all too common, and though this individual fell into the scammer's trap, the signs pointed toward a fishy situation. Here, a look at some of the red flags to look out for. Red flags that may mean you're talking to a romance scammer If it feels like the person you're talking to has stepped out of a fairytale or a dream, it's probably too good to be true. 'Scammers will shower you with flattery, doing everything they can to get on your good side so you feel special and trust them quickly,' says Brooke Keels, PhD, LPC-MHSP, Chief Clinical Officer and LPC-Supervisor at Lighthouse Recovery. 'They might make big promises or say things like, 'I've never felt this way about anyone before,' even if you haven't known each other that long.' Chung adds that if you're having trouble finding the 'human' side to somebody, it's likely that you're talking to just 'parts' of somebody and not the whole person. Here, some easy-to-spot signs you may be talking to a catfish: You've been talking to this person for a while, and you still haven't spoken to them face-to-face (whether via video or in-person). Regardless of the excuses they might give for avoiding a video call, whether it be a broken camera or poor connection, this should be cause for suspicion. Their stories don't seem to add up. Though your judgement might be clouded by the promises they make or the flattering words they use, it's crucial to take a step back and think logically about the big picture. They're always making excuses for things or why they can't meet. Would you pursue a relationship with someone if you had no intention of ever meeting them in person? You divulge a lot more about yourself than they to you. Keeping their story vague allows them to keep up their charade more easily. You can't seem to find any information/profiles about them on the internet. While yes, some people prefer to live life offline, this person should have at least some online trace you can use as a reference. The most common catfishing scams, according to experts Thanks to technology, catfishing scams have changed over time. Still, some common ones include international or military romance scams, Sugar Daddy scams, or someone claiming to be an old connection from high school, explains Terri Orbuch, PhD, relationship expert at Orbuch says the catfisher may search for someone's photo online or come across their information and reach out, claiming that the person is amazing before even meeting. 'Another version of this is if the perpetrator starts by complimenting someone's profile before asking for money to help with a sick child or family member,' she says. Military romance scam One of the most common catfishing romance scams is military romance. 'In this one, the scammer creates a fake profile using pictures of a good-looking person in a military uniform and pretends to be stationed overseas,' says Keels. 'They use the fact that they're 'in the military' to play on people's emotions, saying things like communication is hard because of their job or location, making it easier to trick their target into believing them.' Rich crypto investor scam Another common scam is the rich crypto investor. Keels says that in this case, the scammer acts like a successful cryptocurrency trader or investor, showing off a life of luxury and promising their target they'll get rich, too. It won't be long before they ask for money or personal info, claiming that they need it to invest or transfer funds. The sugar daddy scam is similar as the person catfishing poses as a wealthy person who promises gifts or trips in exchange for affection. However, they manipulate people into giving them money or private information. Celebrity scams As stated earlier, if the situation seems too good to be true, there's a chance it is. While in some instances these sorts of scams include romantic elements, scammers will pose as celebrities and attempt to form bonds with vulnerable, unsuspecting fans and proceed to ask for money for false charities, VIP access and more. These scammers scout out targets by spotting commenters on celebrities' social media posts or followers of a specific star. How to avoid romantic scams According to Orbuch, the best way to avoid getting scammed romantically is to listen to your gut and go slowly. It's also important to research the person you're talking to by checking their online presence, looking into their photos, and spotting any inconsistent or inaccurate information. She also says not to be afraid to ask questions, as it's reasonable to want to know more about the person you're trying to connect with. Another way to avoid a catfish is to video call as much as you can. 'Scammers will often make excuses to avoid showing their face, but if they're the real deal, they'll want to connect in a more personal way,' says Keels. 'If they're always dodging video chats or giving weird reasons for not being able to, that's a huge red flag, and a genuine person will be excited to share that face-to-face connection, even if it's through a screen.' For more ways to protect yourself from scams Watch Out for This New Gmail AI Scam—Here's How to Keep Your Account Safe Consumers Warned About Advent Calendar Scam—Tips to Avoid Being Tricked by 'Too-Good' Deals Beyond the Swipe: SEI Club's Proven Approach to Safe and Authentic Matchmaking Solve the daily Crossword
Yahoo
21-07-2025
- Yahoo
Romance scams roundup: All of the romance scams you should know to keep your heart and bank safe
Romance scams roundup: All of the romance scams you should know to keep your heart and bank safe It's a sad fact, but true — so many of today's most common scams work by preying on and exploiting trust, and our most human emotions. And that's even more true when it comes to online dating scams and romance scams, which take advantage of victims at their most vulnerable to break hearts and break the bank, too. There's no shame in falling for romance scams — the FTC reports at least 70,000 cases per year, with annual financial losses totaling about $1.3 billion — but there's also no shame in protecting your heart as best you can. If you've met someone new and want to make sure they are who they say they are, try running a quick background check before things get serious. Online dating can be scary enough as it is; Spokeo shares these common romance scams to keep an eye out for so you can focus less on heartbreak and more on feeling the love. Catfishing: Not Romantic At All While not all online dating scams are catfishing, the vast majority of them certainly are. Catfishing is the sketchy practice of hiding behind a fake online persona to mislead someone, and it's most commonly associated with two things: exploiting romantic interests and scamming people out of their money. In the case of catfishing romance scams, that's a one-two combo. This is where your Tinder scams, Bumble scams, Hinge scams, sliding-into-your-DMs scams, and the like typically fall. In this case, a potential romantic interest appears, complete with a fake profile, fake pics, and a fake (but often convincing) backstory. After a flirtation that can last anywhere from minutes to months, the catfisher comes for your money. That's usually when the scam goes from catfishing to catphishing, where phishing is the act of fooling you into divulging your private information (like passwords or bank account numbers) in order to target your finances. While that's the basic format of many online dating scams, catfishing-based romance scams come in a wide variety of flavors. And none of them are any good. Military Romance Scams Catfishing romance scammers might cook up an entirely fictional online persona, or even an AI-generated one, or they might appropriate pics and details from an existing, real-world person. In any case, one of their favorite types of people to impersonate is military personnel. For grifters, a faux military profile accomplishes a lot. It can easily appeal to the victim's empathy, plus it offers plenty of excuses for why they never can seem to meet in person (a hallmark of catfish) or why a long-distance relationship is more convenient. When the time comes to get money out of the victim — a process that can go on for months — the military-themed scammer commonly uses excuses like paying for internet, retirement planning or travel costs (none of which are expenses for people enlisted in real life). Oil Rig Scams This catfishing theme is very similar to military romance scams: Long story short, it's convenient for scammers to claim to be an oil rigger or someone of a similar occupation who likely works in a remote locale, doesn't have regular internet access, and has to travel for long periods. These types of rugged, dangerous occupations are also ripe for making monetary requests under the guise of medical and travel expenses. Similarly, faux lovers claiming to be international workers use the guise to ask for money to travel to you, or to get their goods through customs. Take one guess as to where that money actually ends up. Steamier Scammers Some catfishing-based romance scams really emphasize the romance. For instance, in one especially sneaky type of hustle, the con artist poses as a sugar mama or sugar daddy. It's common for these scammers to promise money in exchange for risque pics, which they can then use as ammunition for blackmail. Or, they might do a variation of an age-old scam where they pay you a large amount of money, and then ask for some back — sure enough, the money you've received is typically from a bum source, like a stolen credit card, so the funds will bounce, leaving you holding the bag. Scammers posing as widows or widowers are also all too common. Like military romance scams, these follow the traditional catfishing-to-catphishing pipeline, but they emphasize a particularly common element of online dating scams: they often involve a sob story to help motivate victims to reach into their pockets. Not Catfish, But Still Fishy Not all romance scams revolve around catfishing. Unfortunately, you'll find that scammers are a pretty creative lot. Wish we saw that same energy when it came to first date ideas from real people on dating apps, but in any case, be wary of these common types of online dating scams: Crypto Scams Because it's so difficult to trace, crypto can be a big red flag when it comes to online scams in general. In this instance, the fake bae gains your trust, then convinces you to invest in what they pitch as a surefire crypto deal. The twist is, the crypto app they're so excited about is often a bespoke (and very fake) app they've created to funnel your funds. Of course, sometimes they'll just take your money via a straight-up Zelle or wire transfer. Bogus Dating Sites Similar to creating a phony crypto app to funnel money right into their own bank account, it's not below romance scammers to create entire dating websites just to hustle unsuspecting romantics. These sham sites pump up your confidence by plying you with matches, but beware of sign-up processes that ask a suspicious amount of finance-related questions or want you to divulge things that could be used to commit identity theft, like answers to common security questions ('what was the name of your first pet?'). Otherwise, fraudulent dating sites might take your money by asking you to pay for perks while matching you with nothing but bots. Or they might keep it simple and just infect your device with phishing malware, or take your credit card info. On the latter note, some romance scams simply rely on tricking you into clicking a link to infectious malware, and that link can be delivered anywhere, from Tinder scams to Bumble scams to DM, text, or email scams. Verification Scams This one's a bit different from the other online dating scams covered here. In a verification scam, criminals will pose as official communications channels for popular dating apps (this is also often called spoofing). You might get a message claiming to be from Tinder, for example, asking you to click a link to 'verify your account,' which requires you to input private information, like passwords, social security numbers, or financial data. As you may have guessed, that info isn't going to Tinder, it's going to creepy phishers. Remember, this online dating scam isn't limited to Tinder. Scammers will adopt the guise and branding of whatever's popular at the time, so it could be a Hinge scam, a Bumble scam, a Coffee Meets Bagel scam — you get the idea. Better Safe Than Heartbroken Love really is a battlefield, but you don't have to storm the beaches unarmed. While it's clear that romance scams come in as many varieties as there are phish in the sea, keep an eye out for these red flags to protect your heart: An unwillingness to meet in person or to take video calls. A little too much emphasis on keeping things private. 'Love bombing,' or bombarding you with compliments and affection, or accelerating the relationship at warp speed right from the jump — this is a tactic to gain your trust and confidence, and to exploit your vulnerability. Inconsistencies in your match's story, or consistently evading questions. Photos that look too polished or AI-generated, or that seem stolen (try a reverse Google Image search and see if any hits come up). Fairy tale romances that seem too good to be true. Any and all asks for money or private information from any person (or bot) you've never met in the real world. When those red flags add up, act quickly to block and report the scammer on whatever platform you're on, and contact your bank ASAP if any money has begun changing hands. You can also head to to report scams — or better yet, avoid divulging funds or private info to online strangers in the first place. Frequently Asked Questions If you're still curious about romance scams, you're not alone. Some of the most commonly searched questions for romance scams include: Will a romance scammer talk on the phone? Typically, no. Catfishers will make a variety of excuses to avoid meeting in person, talking on the phone, or video chatting, often kicking the can down the road indefinitely. In the rare circumstance in which they do give you a call, try running their digits through a reverse phone lookup to see if they really are who they claim to be. If they don't ask for private information like your bank account or credit card numbers, passwords, or other personally identifying info, they might ask for money directly. Asking for crypto investments, wire transfers, or peer-to-peer payments are also massive romance scam red flags. What are common romance scammer phrases? Romance scammers will say anything to get you to trust them — and, in some cases, fall in love with them — as quickly as possible. Some romance scammer favorites include, 'I feel like I've known you forever,' 'you're the only one who understands me,' 'I can't wait to start a life with you,' and 'I've never felt this way about anyone else.' Basically, it's a love-bombing vibe. All's fair in love and war, but romance scammers throw the concept of 'fair' right out the window. Level the playing field. This story was produced by Spokeo and reviewed and distributed by Stacker. Solve the daily Crossword
