Most people think that the deceptive act known as “catfishing” started once the internet became popular. However, folks had been catfishing for quite some time all over the world even before the invention of the computer. To catfish someone is to pretend that you are a different person. A catfisher might use fake photos or descriptions to accomplish this goal, and often they will deceive a person for nefarious reasons, seeking something from their victim, whether its money or something else. The older man in this fictional story met up with a 16-year-old girl at a restaurant after posing as a teen her age online. As they were about to leave together, a stranger stepped in, and her intervention may have saved the young girl’s life.
I found a really friendly and cute guy online so I decided to meet up with him in a caf. I got scared when I saw he was a different, older man, but he seemed quite sweet when I got to talk to him.
At the caf…
Him: Hi! Your name’s Maria, right?
Me: Yeah.
Him: It’s me, Brian.
Me: Wait. So, like, all the pictures you sent me, that wasn’t you?
Him: Those were pictures of my nephew, but it’s fine. I had to use those pictures, you wouldn’t have hit me up otherwise.
Me: But… I was expecting a sixteen-year-old?! You’re old enough to be my dad. We had a connection for, like, 3 weeks! You told me you were sixteen .. that’s weird.
Him: Age is just a number, right? Anyway, come with me to hang out, it’s going to be great. I’ll order us some tequila.
