Catphishing: Beyond Romance Scams

Catphishing: Beyond Romance Scams

When most people think of catfishing, they imagine a lonely heart being deceived into a romantic relationship with a fake persona. And while romance scams continue to thrive on dating apps, Catphishing has expanded far beyond matters of the heart. From LinkedIn scams to AI-generated impersonations, catphishing (o catfishing)has become a significant cyber security threat that reaches into professional networks, job markets, and even corporate organisations.

With the higher sophistication of AI and the widespread accessibility of personal data on the dark web, and the clear web (the regular internet), catphishing scams have evolved into a multi-pronged attack. Cyber criminals are no longer just preying on emotions; they are exploiting trust in professional settings, corporate structures, and the recruitment process. Deepfake technology and AI-powered chatbots have grown more convincing, which means the potential for deception is quite high, despite security awareness warnings to think before you act.

1. LinkedIn Scams and Professional Deception

Social media isn’t just for connecting with friends—it’s also a goldmine for scammers to collect information from your digital footprint. On LinkedIn for example, catphishers create fake profiles to establish credibility, network with professionals, and even scam companies out of money or sensitive information. Fake recruiters lure job seekers into the hiring processes, sometimes asking for upfront payments for training or certifications, or to complete a complex task that costs time and money.  

2. Job Hunter and Employer Scams

Job seekers and employers are both vulnerable to catphishing in the recruitment space. Fraudulent job listings often promise high salaries for minimal effort, luring applicants into providing personal information or paying for fake training courses. On the flip side, scammers posing as job candidates use AI-generated resumes and interviews to secure remote positions, only to defraud companies or steal intellectual property.

3. AI-Powered Impersonation Scams

AI apps have added a dangerous twist to traditional catphishing. Scammers can now generate hyper-realistic profile pictures, mimic voices, and even create deepfake videos that make impersonation more convincing than ever. Criminals have successfully used AI-generated personas to scam businesses, gain unauthorised access to sensitive data, and execute fraud at a scale never seen before.

4. BEC as a mass catphish

Catphishing isn’t limited to individuals; even organisations can fall victim. Scammers often pose as vendors, partners, or even internal employees to conduct business email compromise (BEC) attacks. These scams manipulate employees into approving fake invoices, sharing sensitive documents, or granting system access under false pretences.

5. Sugar-Coating and manipulation

Catphishing can also be used as social engineering for pure manipulation– outside of a scam at the end. Whether it’s a fake mentor offering career advice, a fabricated business partner making too-good-to-be-true promises, or an AI chatbot sweet-talking victims into financial decisions, sugar-coating plays a huge role in manipulation. These tactics exploit psychological vulnerabilities to build trust before striking with fraudulent intent. There isn’t always a ‘strike’ at the end though – the proliferation of misinformation online by ‘experts’ can simply seek to cause mischief or political dissent.

Protecting Yourself and Your Organisation

Given the increasing complexity of catphishing schemes, here’s how individuals and businesses can stay protected:

• Verify Identities: Always cross-check online identities, whether it’s a recruiter, executive, or potential business partner. Reverse image searches and direct verification through official channels can prevent deception.

• Be Sceptical of Unsolicited Offers: If a job offer, partnership, or financial opportunity seems too good to be true, it probably is.

• Limit Personal Information Sharing: Scammers thrive on available data. Be cautious about the details you share online, even on professional platforms like LinkedIn.

• Use AI Detection Tools: As AI-driven scams increase, it will be possible to invest in deepfake detection and authentication technologies to prevent impersonation attacks.

• Educate Employees: Cyber security awareness training should go beyond phishing emails—employees need to recognise the subtle psychological tricks catphishers use to gain trust.

Catphishing is not always a romance scam—Impersonation is a growing cyber security threat infiltrating the professional space. Verifying identities, and maintaining strong cyber security hygiene in your workplace can make a difference.

Want to learn more about Catphishing? Contact us for a demo of our popular Catphishing course as well as the Phriendly Phishing award-winning platform.

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