Don’t fall for a Catfishing scam this Valentine’s Day
July 12, 2020
Scamwatch receives around 3,400 romance scam reports every year, and that number has barely shifted since 2021. Behind those reports are real people who were deceived, sometimes over months, before they realised what was happening. In 2025 alone, those victims lost $28.7 million to Scamwatch-reported romance scams. Catfishing is one of the most common tactics behind these losses. Here’s how to recognise the warning signs and what to do if something feels wrong.
What is Catfishing?
Catfishing (or catphishing) is when someone creates a false identity online to gain attention or money from unsuspecting victims, using romantic intentions to win the victim’s heart and wallet. They do this by creating fake profiles on social media or dating websites, posing as someone else to gain trust or sympathy. The goal varies: some are seeking attention while others are after money or personal information.
The most common targets are people looking for connection on dating apps like Tinder or Bumble. It can lead to large financial losses as well as emotional distress and trauma. A common financial scam using this method is a long game: chatting over text to build the feeling of a real relationship, while gradually introducing talk of investments or cryptocurrency.
Catfishing and romance scams are increasingly used to set up larger financial frauds, including investment scams. The Darknet Chronicles series from Phriendly Phishing explores how these scam ecosystems connect.
How to spot a catfishing scammer
One of the best ways to spot a scammer is to pay attention to red flags. If your potential match seems too good to be true, if they claim to have a high-paying job but never talk about work, if they refuse video calls or only communicate by text at odd hours, it is likely you are dealing with someone who is not who they say they are. Catfish scammers rarely ask for money straight away. Watch out for requests for small favours first. This is called the “Benjamin Franklin Effect”: once you do one favour for someone, you are more likely to do it again, and for a greater value.
If something isn’t adding up, do some research.
- Reverse image search their photos. It is unlikely that a profile picture only exists in one place. Check if the images match another profile or a different name.
- Ask them local questions about the area they say they live or work in. Something that would not be obvious to an overseas scammer.
How to avoid getting caught in a scam
The best way to stay safe is to be vigilant and build your awareness. Cyber security awareness training for employees covers the social engineering tactics behind catfishing and phishing. Be cautious of anyone you only know online, particularly anyone who asks for personal information or wants you to click links or open attachments.
Red flags to watch for:
- They want to move the conversation off the app to WhatsApp or WeChat, so you cannot report them if things go wrong.
- Their answers on the dating app look similar to or identical to those on another profile.
- They bring up how much money they recently made through a sure investment.
- They agree with everything you say, then gradually shift your thinking.
- Love bombing: they say everything right and promise a bright future very quickly.
If your match is talking about material possessions, gifts, travel, marriage, or investing for your future, ask yourself why someone you have never met is moving so fast. Plans like this take time and trust. Go slowly and tread carefully.
It is not just your money at risk. Some victims of catfishing scams have been arrested for money laundering after a match on a dating app asked them to open a bank account for an inheritance that turned out to be proceeds from another cyber scam.
Phishing often plays a supporting role in romance scams, building the initial contact or delivering a malicious link. Phishing simulation training helps employees recognise the tactics that underpin both.
Understanding how catfishing works is the first step to staying safe. Scammers are active year-round, and their techniques evolve constantly. If something feels wrong, trust that instinct, take your time, and report suspicious accounts to the platform and to Scamwatch at scamwatch.gov.au.
Catfishing is one tactic in a much wider social engineering playbook. For teams who want to build real recognition skills across the full range of threats, phishing awareness training for Australian teams covers everything from email-based lures to romance scams and investment fraud, so your people know what to look for before it costs the business.
For a more in depth, but bite sized training on phishing awareness and cyber scams, get in the know with our award-winning training; we’ll show you what to look out for! Schedule a demo now.
