Just wondering, because I have. You can read the full story in the 'returning after several months' thread I made as my first post, because I don't want to cheat the system by copy pasting something I already wrote. Anyway, it is not a pleasant experience at all and is just horrible that people can do that...

Yes, I have been catfished, twice. Granted, it was years ago, but it was still very infuriating to experience.

I started to reply to this when it was first posted, but it's kind of a personal question, so I was hesitant. My answer is also embarrassing.

Yes, I have been. It wasn't meant to be as vicious as it ended up being, but I let myself become very emotionally involved with a woman only to have her tell me later that she had used someone else's picture, a fake name, and a fake age (she was only fourteen in reality).

Surprisingly enough, we're still friends. lol That's all we'll ever be though, even though she's in her early twenties now.

No, and I hope to never be. I despise anyone who does that.

All the f***ing time.

Never, don't trust anyone online too easily ok, be safe out there kids

  So , this thread being my first introduction to the concept , the term cat fishing apparently means that a person is using a fake photo and fake identity to get close to someone they like online under false pretenses .

 With this understood , my answer is simple . Have I been cat fished by a perpetrator of the discipline ?  No ...  Not that I know of .

 I generally expect people to be trustworthy unless proven otherwise .  The online shield may introduce some blocks to meeting with me  [ sometimes that is a very good thing for me ] but the same in the physical world applies to online interaction .  The inclination to trust attracts primarily those who are worthy of trust .  I do not throw caution right out of the window or jump at the most familiar of obvious scams but people who are being straight with me are pretty easy to pick out .  They talk about real stuff and take their time interacting .  Scammers , by contrast usually cough up info about what they are " really " after , all too soon because a person on the clock is always looking to get the job done more efficiently and thusly profit more frequently . Scammers are impatient . Wait it out . If a new friend is willing to wait a very long time and ask you for nothing out of your way , chances are higher that they are the genuine article .  As a definitive rule , that " waiting " guideline works exceptionally well for long term relationships of every kind in life [ not just those romantic motives - but waiting multiple years to really " get busy " does solidify that trust that they will not split and run on you even when not being " intermingled " every single week with no pause ] .

 I am not sure if anyone I encountered did make up an unreal identity so the wisest course is to assume nothing of them and move it on down the old dusty trail .

 P3

I have never been catfished and I don't think I have anything of value for anyone to try to build a relationship with me.  Who am I that's worth any time for a person to try to create something fake.  Why would they do it?  And why on earth would I just start talking to a person I didn't know who showed up out of the blue to try and talk to me?  I'm not sure how internet relationships work since I'm a real-world person and I have more than enough friends who drink beer with me at the bar or play trivia.

So, no, I have never been catfished and I doubt I'll ever have it happen.  I don't take the online world seriously enough to get pulled in.

Why did everyone else get catfished?  What did those people want?

Me personally know. I have never been cat fished. To be honest, I can see when someone is trying to catfish. Seen it on Facebook, Skype, etc. I just laugh and troll them for a failure attempt at trying to get me to fall for their crap. It's pretty damn sad that people do this stuff, for what? A laugh? Or are they that desperate they can't show who they truly are when they are trying to get into a relationship? It's why I don't do online dating.

Yes but the person seems to have finally left me alone. It was a 40 something year old woman posing as some guy in his 20’s. Found out through a Google search. Be careful.