Catfish: A catfish is someone who pretends to be someone they're not using Facebook or other social media to create false identities...
I see from a few posts that Dailykos caught a catfish. I really like this term, cat... fish. It so perfectly conveys what a catfish does, a fish that pretends to be a cat or vice versa, however you like. Anyway, this is the title of a documentary called Catfish. Or possibly a fakeumentary called Catfish. It's been questioned whether the makers were really as unaware as they portrayed it in the movie, but either way, it offers something that, in light of the recent goings on, I thought some might appreciate. Preview and more info below the Itzl.
Below is the trailer and after it is a summary of the movie. However, keep in mind that the trailer gives the impression that the ending is "scary", but it's not in the traditional sense.
There's a guy named Nev and he gets emailed by a young girl named Abby. She saw his picture in the newspaper and wants to draw a picture of him. He agrees and she sends him the painting, an amazing painting for an eight year old. He tries to find out more about her, whether it's real, and winds up getting in touch with her older sister. Her name is Meghan and they strike up a friendship online. His friends decide to film the developing romance. They talk on Facebook, they text, they talk on the phone...
This is a really good synopsis of the movie.
Questions soon arise when Meghan sends Nev a number of songs — supposedly her own — that, after a quick Google search, are revealed to have been performed by other people. When confronted through an instant message chat, she insists the performances are genuine. Nev hilariously responds ‘These people are psychopaths!’, suggesting that this whole time he could’ve been talking to a dude. From there the mystery begins as he and his friends attempt to figure out who’s really behind this online family.
Well, turns out Meghan isn't real. The link has more details about who was pretending to be Meghan, but the important point is she was a catfish. A really good catfish. She put an astonishing amount of time into developing the Meghan persona. She developed supporting characters, complete with pictures and videos. If she hadn't been trying for a romantic relationship... I think she could have worked the persona for years. In this case, I think Nev got lucky. Nev's story didn't turn out so great, but still, assuming he didn't know all along Meghan was fake... it could've turned out much worse.
Your catfish may come in many flavors, ranging from the paid, to the sad, to the desperate, to the cruel, to the psychotic and obsessed. I don't know what type you've caught here this weekend, but assume NOTHING about the catfish known as TheNephew. I saw a lot of people referring to this person with tidbits of the fake backstory put out there as if they were still accepting the trueness of these things. That he is young, gay or even really a he, is completely unknown at this point. I understand SJF talked to someone on the phone who claimed to be a young gay man named Matt aka TheNephew, but there are ways to fake even this. Hiring someone to play the part, using a voice modifier, etc.
However, what is known:
1- TheNephew is the long lived, fake online persona of a catfish.
2- To protect this fake online persona, the catfish manipulated Kossacks into defending TheNephew persona when questions were posed about TheNephew's background.
3- To protect this fake online persona, the catfish created new, obviously fake, personae (not sure this is correct, it's the spelling that spell check likes) and sent creepy, threatening messages to TheNephew persona. The catfish then posted about TheNephew persona's new (fake) stalker in an effort to garner more sympathy and defenders.
4- Facing even more skepticism, the catfish used the stalker personae to send threatening, creepy messages to prominent, popular posters on DK. The catfish used personal information about these posters obtained through TheNephew persona, and possibly through REAL stalking activities, to scare them in an effort to get them to post about their own stalker. The catfish did this believing that if others were verifying stalkers, TheNephew persona's story would be more believable and therefore safer.
5- The catfish outsmarted itself with the personal information and threats. Fearing criminal investigations into the stalker personae, the catfish confessed.
You do not know who this person is or who these people are. This catfish may be really dangerous. I understand that some think this catfish may also be mentally ill or in need of help and I feel a need to put a warning out there that you could be fooled again. I would advise you, if the catfish contacts you, whatever the story, politely suggest "he" seek professional help, wish "him" the best, and decline further communication. I would prefer a criminal investigation into the online stalking as I feel professionals need to be involved when it gets to this point, either for counseling or punishment, whatever is warranted after some psych evals. Those of you who are more kind hearted, please do not get sucked back into this catfish's world.
Feel free to throw my 2 cents back if you're not interested.