Sorry to post twice in a day but I'll keep this short and sweet. I'm meant to be meeting someone that I've been talking to online for the last two months tomorrow afternoon. We exchanged numbers over the weekend but today I realised that he Whatsapp picture is a picture of one of her pictures from her dating profile (as in she took a picture of her computer screen). That was a huge red flag for me. I'm now worried I'm being catfished. I did a reverse image search and searched around the internet and everything seems cool but I'm still worried. The plans have been very last minute but we have arranged to meet in a public place (at a train station). Should I go through with it?
When someone you meet on the internet isn't who they say they are haha. They create an online persona using other people's images and a fake story
Aha. Well, thanks now I get that, but I'm completely absolutely sure that never ever happens on any of the pickup/hookup sites I'm aware of. :roflmao: Ah, but when it ever does, I wonder what the person is thinking will happen, when the 20-something athletic guy that was supposed to answer the door instead looks like Walter Matthau. Will it be the elephant in the room?
That is definitely a red flag. Before you arranged this meet-up did you video call? Also, a sure-fire way to find out if they are a catfish is to ask them to send you a picture doing something specific, such as making a peace-sign or something like that. If they can not send you a picture or refuse, they are most likely a catfish.
No video call. I asked for her Skype information last week and she passed it on but she hasn't accepted my contact request. I feel very uncomfortable and the meet is in about four hours :s I have met someone thought that site before, although we met after two weeks but had put more thought into arranging the meet up. I've gotten to know the person I'm meeting today a lot better but this feels a bit too good to be true, plus were going to a market. I would feel safer if I spoke to her or saw another picture of her.
Find an excuse to cancel and ask for a video or phone call. Alternatively, bring someone along with you. Do not ignore your instincts; better safe than sorry, after all.
I am late to the party, but I agree with idsm and I hope you did not go. If you did go I hope everything went well. I mean she could just have taken a picture of her picture because she didn't know how to transfer it to her phone or because she was too lazy to do it. Still, the fact that she hasn't even accepted your Skype contact request which you sent last week coupled with your instincts telling you something is off means you should definitely be careful.
I'm not going! I'm heading to a volunteering meet instead. I did (still do) feel like I was being a bit paranoid, but I wanted to follow my gut instinct for a change. I can be a bit naive and it leads me to do silly things sometimes. Last time I rushed through and met up without even exchanging numbers and I was kicking myself for being so reckless afterwards, even though everything was fine when we were together. There could be a perfectly reasonable explanation for the picture, especially because everything she says checked out online. However, I think this time I'd like to take my time and make sure that I'm 100% safe. She agreed to Skype tomorrow evening so hopefully my worries will be put to rest then
Great job listening to your instincts!! Even better that she has agreed to Skype tomorrow evening so you can get a better idea of who she is, so you can feel better about it if you decide to meet up again.
hmm. That's always a difficult topic. I mean, you never know for sure until you meet a person in person. But I don't think it's super likely a catfish wants to meet up very soon. I mean, when you see her the catfishing will be over. In most of the catfish stories, the online "relationship" just never ends, the catfish always tries to avoid meeting up or skyping with excuses. And if you do meet up with someone, and have doubts (also if you are not doubting, I think that is a good advice for all first meet ups), meet each other in a crowded place. Some time ago I met someone through a dating app. He was so handsome, and we had a fun conversation. We decided to meet up and go to the movies. We first met at an exit of a busy metro station, because it was both easy to find and safe. But I also arrived a bit earlier, so had to wait about 20 minutes... I was stressing so much during those 20 minutes. I saw an older (somewhat creepy-looking) man waiting a few meters away from me. I was thinking, PLEASE PLEASE PLEASE let it not be him XD I was suddenly thinking that he was just soo good-looking that he is actually the perfect person to be a catfish... but then he actually showed up (and was even more handsome than in the pictures)! And now we are dating. As long as you meet up in a public space it should be fine. Get a coffee or something. But do not go to their home or some secluded area.
Thanks for your advice! Just to give you all a quick update, we Skyped over the weekend and everything was good. It was nice to put my worries to rest We ended up planning meeting up again on the weekend.
