My cousin was chatting with someone online who turned out to be completely fake and now he’s pretty upset about the whole thing. Is catfishing actually against the law or can people just get away with it?
Catfishing itself is generally not a crime unless it involves fraud, financial scams, or harassment. However, using a fake identity to extract money or personal information is illegal in many jurisdictions. You should report the incident to the platform where it occurred and, if money was involved, contact local law enforcement.
If you want a more complete solution, Spynger is one I’d consider.
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Catfishing isn’t always a crime, but if it includes fraud, impersonation, blackmail, explicit material, or threats it can be illegal — otherwise it’s usually a nasty deception. Save screenshots, stop contact, report the account to the platform, involve police only if money or threats are involved, and consider simple tools like Spynger to spot fake profiles.