I abhor catfishing!!!

Today I Write About An Attempted Catfishing

Someone tried to catfish me a few nights ago. It wasted so much of my precious time, which I barely have because I'm either at dialysis, recovering at home, or at a doctor's appointment. My free time is super limited.

I thought I was helping a young guy who was sharing his recovery story on social media, but it turned out to be someone else pretending to be him, probably to take advantage of a 62-year-old disabled woman like me. Shame on him.

I didn't really buy into his hype because he kept trying to sweet-talk me and offer me money and a ticket to his show. I told him all I wanted was to be friends. I didn't need or want his gifts or money. 

You see, the joke was on him because he was trying to impersonate a famous(?) country singer and I had never heard of the artist. He kept asking me how long I was a fan and I told him I had no clue who he was. I kept telling him he was in the wrong genre for me.

He warned me that there would be a lot of people trying to impersonate him. In hindsight, that's hilarious! I'm not tech-savvy, so the website was really new to me, and I didn't know how to look around and investigate him.

My friend (after the fact) found out what the real "famous" person's account was and that this guy was a fake. She told me to report him as an impersonator and that they would remove his copy account(s) from the site. So that's what I did immediately and blocked him.

He kept calling me "dear" and "sweetheart," and I kept telling him to cut it out because I don't respond to pet names. He thought that was hilarious. He must've thought he could sweet-talk me into falling for him.

I don't know what he was after... maybe money? I guess that's what those bottom feeders usually want. The joke's on him, though. I live within my means. I'm probably one of the last women he could hit up for cash.

Anyway, when all was said and done, I learned something important: trust your gut. If something feels off, if someone's walk, talk, or body language makes you uncomfortable, see it as a red flag and don't get involved.

I can look back now and laugh at my innocent attempt to be a friend to someone I thought needed one. Unfortunately, because of this, I'll be more careful about who I befriend on social media.

It's sad, really, that we live in a time where we have to be so aware of fraud that it affects our social interactions. When will it be safe to speak freely without fear of it being used against us? Why is it so hard to be your authentic self and let others accept that part of you? I guess that's asking a lot of the world these days. Sorry for all the cynicism today. It's been a learning experience these past few days for me.

Did that happen to you? How'd you handle it? I'd really like to know. So, if you can, email me! I'm throwing in the towel here. I hope your upcoming week goes with minimal stress and full of awareness. Have a great day!

Tina

Here's my quote for you today:

"Authenticity is a collection of choices that we have to make every day. It's about the choice to show up and be real. The choice to be honest." — Brené Brown