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Behind the Mask: The Devastating Emotional Fallout of Catfishing

Hon, Stephnie ; Croucher, John (2026) — Journal of Medical Sciences and Health Care Research

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DOI: 10.66311/3068-9104.03.03.01 (opens in a new tab)

Type:   Journal Article
Country:   Global
Tags:   AI-Enabled Fraud, Catfishing, Emotional Trauma, Offender Tactics, Online Dating, Romance Scams, Sextortion, Victim Experience
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Synopsis

            
This publication examines catfishing as a predatory online behavior in dating contexts, focusing on how false identities are constructed and used to manipulate others for financial gain or emotional control. The authors describe catfishing as the creation of fake online personas—often with stolen or fabricated photos and background stories—to cultivate romantic or intimate connections, followed by coercion, manipulation, or extortion. The work situates catfishing within broader online fraud and identity-theft concerns, arguing that such deception harms victims’ emotional wellbeing, privacy, and financial security, and may lead to reputational damage. Methodologically, the article presents a narrative synthesis anchored by multiple case studies drawn from international examples. Cases illustrate varied disguises (for example, manipulative impostors posing as military personnel, professionals, or other attractive figures) and escalating demands for money, intimate images, or personal information. The discussion connects these stories to patterns of grooming, rapid shifts to private communications, and threats of exposure or sextortion. The authors also reference aggregate data from Australian authorities to quantify the scale of romance fraud, noting substantial financial losses and numerous victims in 2025. They underscore the legal and ethical dimensions of catfishing, including identity theft and potential criminal consequences for perpetrators. The publication concludes that catfishing is a serious digital-era harm with psychological, financial, and social ramifications. It advocates for platform verification, robust reporting mechanisms, and victim-support resources, while acknowledging that further research is needed to refine prevention and response strategies. The article emphasizes the importance of recognizing online deception as a legitimate public-safety concern and the necessity of safety education for users.

          

        
                  

            
Identified Gaps

            
The article identifies a need for robust safety strategies and effective victim-support mechanisms. It provides no systematic empirical evidence on the effectiveness of verification, reporting, education, or support interventions.

          

        
                  

            
Methods

            
The article is a narrative, case-based discussion of catfishing. It synthesizes cited literature, media reports, legal and coronial cases, and an Australian loss statistic to describe tactics, warning signs, harms, and possible safety responses. Although a section is labeled “Methods,” it describes offender techniques rather than a reproducible research protocol.

          

        
                  

            
Limitations

            
No original sample, data-collection procedure, analytic method, inclusion criteria, or systematic review process is reported. Many assertions rely on illustrative media and legal cases, so prevalence, causal claims, and generalizability cannot be assessed. The article also combines financially motivated romance fraud with broader catfishing motives.

          

        
                  

            
Future Work

            
Introduce victim-support mechanisms to mitigate catfishing-related harms. Platforms should invest in identity-verification systems, reporting mechanisms, and user education.

          

              

    
    

        
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