You can't always trust people you meet on the Internet! Always be safe online, so you can avoid getting catfished like all of these innocent people...
At Least She Was Honest In The End?

“Once. It was actually my first online date, ever.
I ended up talking up a girl who seemed pretty cute. She was a little overweight, but not too much so. She told me she liked the same music I did, and that she liked video games, like Portal. Woo, fun. She also told me she was 22. Everything seems great, so we arrange to meet up, as she’s 2 hours away. I make the drive, get to the town she lives in, and wait patiently at the local Starbucks.
That’s when she comes up, and she’s a good 100 pounds heavier than she looked in her photos. Definitely not ‘a little extra,’ this was way more extra. Whatever, fine, maybe things will go better from here.
Sadly, not a chance. In conversing with her, it’s clear that she, in fact, did NOT like video games, and she was just blatantly lying about her music tastes. She listened to nothing but gangsta rap the entire date (we took her car), and when asked about other music, she seemed outright clueless. Furthermore, she kept remaining adamant that I make a decision on wanting to be in a committed relationship by the end of the date.
Then towards the end of the date, she revealed that she was, in fact, a few days past 18 (and not 22, as she said before), and she had lost her virginity two days prior to our date. That’s when it very clearly went into the realm of NOPENOPENOPE. Ended the date, left.
Two days later, she messages me again telling me she got with another guy, and that it wouldn’t work out between us. Uh.”
This Is Why Finding Love On Kid Websites Is Not Normal…

“I met this young man named ‘Shane’ on the Neopets when I was 13. My best friend was 16 and so was ‘Shane.’ He lived in Holland and we would chat daily. I told my mom about our international friend and she reminded me that ‘you never know who you’re talking to on the Internet.’ I got freaked out and wouldn’t talk to Shane for a couple of months, while my best friend would still talk to him daily.
The strange thing was, Shane shared an email address with his sister ‘Rowena’ and we had only ever seen one picture of ‘Shane.’ Whatever, not many people back then had digital cameras or video cameras.
My best friend fell madly in love with Shane and, like I said, talk to him daily. They talked about meeting up but something would always get in the way, even when my friend was in Holland with her family. We also found the same picture of Shane on vampire freaks, which was weird, because it was under a different name.
After years of talking, like four freaking years, my best friend received an email from her lover. He told her there was something he needed to tell her and was just so embarrassed about but he had been hiding something for quite some time and to look for an email to her about it. She responded and waited for the email for months, it never came, she never heard from Shane again. She sent emails and instant messages to Shane, but he never responded again.
She started digging and she found Shane’s sisters, Rowena’s, social media site. On it were all the photos and drawings Shane had been sending her for years claiming that they were his. Pictures of Shane’s new shoes, of a drawing he had made for my best friend, all of Shane’s favorite bands, etc. My best friend then realized he had not fallen in love with Shane, but a girl from Holland named Rowena.
It has been four-ish years since she’s spoken to Shane and the first year after they stopped talking she sent Rowena an email letting her know that she knows that Shane never existed. I know deep down she still wants answers, but I’m pretty sure she’ll never get them.”
A Different Guy From His YouTube Videos?

“This one guy was just really rubbish at being a catfish. His information didn’t match his pictures. He said he was 5’10 yet his pictures showed him towering over his friends, when I asked him about it, he said he was standing on something. Uh, okay? I then said his proportions didn’t look like he was standing on something, his story changed to having not measured himself in a long while. The pictures were of a blonde haired, blue eyed guy, but information said brown hair and brown eyes. What?
When I jokingly suggested he was a catfish he got really defensive and said he was offended/upset. Surely a real person would just laugh something like that off?
Then he sent me a video of ‘him’ singing and playing guitar, but it seemed like something had been cut off. So I asked if he had a YouTube account, but he said he had recently deleted. I searched YouTube for the song anyway and ‘he’ was the first result, as I suspected an introduction had been cut off. In the video, the guy gave his full name, which was different to what this guy had told me. On googling the name I found a music profile, and Facebook account, all with different information to what I had been given. All the pictures the fake guy had posted were on the real guys Facebook, plus loads more.
I couldn’t be bothered to confront the catfish and present all my evidence as I thought it would just teach him where he went wrong and possibly stop other girls realizing.”
High School Teens Were The Real Ones Behind The Australian Girl…

“I did make a lot of dumb mistakes when I was 18. This is a long story, but I want to get it all out there. I have to share it from time to time.
A few years ago in December, I was on 4chan just trying to find someone to talk to (this was before the /soc/ board was formed). And I stumbled across this girl who sparked my interest. She was a 16 year old from Australia and I was 18 from the US. Now, most of the conversations started out strong but we never did anything extreme. I wouldn’t be too surprised if this started off a few warning alarms for some people. Well a couple days after we met, we just started talking. I found out so much about her that I knew I had to have her. She was fantastic and perfect in every way. Her knowledge of computers and her beautiful personality put me in immediate infatuation. I was ready to tell her that I wanted to start something more around Christmas, but that day never came.
I waited and I waited for her to sign on. Days turned to weeks and I found myself looking on Facebook for her. I added her in mid-January and a few days later I saw her online again. I just had to spill my guts about how much she caught my attention and how I wanted to try something more with her. And she accepted! I was so happy! We talked for so long. I freaking loved every moment that we talked and our conversations always lasted late into the night. We never video-chatted, but I knew exactly what she looked like. She had several photos and friends from school on her Facebook page. I didn’t really question why she didn’t have a webcam because it was during those times where it was just barely understandable for your computer to not have a webcam.
Then it happened again. Radio silence. But it was a lot shorter. Maybe a week. I was taking things too fast and sent her a sappy sentimental Facebook message and heard back from her right away! We talked and talked again. The mystery of what kept happening to her was always in the back of my mind, but I tried to ignore it because I felt like I was being too clingy already.
Then it happened again. For a few weeks this time. It was seriously driving me crazy at this point! She was the only thing on my mind all day. I’d go from loving her to hating her guts in the matter of a few hours. It was unhealthy, but I didn’t want to lose her. She appeared again and we talked. I brought up why she was disappearing so much and she blamed her family so I didn’t mention it anymore.
It was just about then that she was about to head off to New Zealand for 2 weeks after that major earthquake happened there a few years ago. I was disappointed, but I was also excited. I had the chance to exercise, make myself a better person, and rest easy knowing why she was gone.
Low and behold that by the end of her trip, I got really sick! When she got back, I was excited, but freaking dying from school and being ill. The happiest moment of my life was the night we spent all night playing video games together while I laid in bed feeling like trash. We really bonded and got close that night. At the end of it all before I went to bed she asked me if I wanted to ask her anything. I asked her what was up with her leaving so much, if she was real, and if she thought we had a chance together. She said there was a great chance. We talked the next day and planned to have another video game filled weekend the next weekend. Sadly I didn’t hear back from her…
The day we were supposed to play, I went freaking crazy. I woke up feeling like the king of the world, but by the afternoon I freaking hated her so much. I was so betrayed and heartbroken. A couple weeks later I did my research. I looked into it so much. I analyzed every single detail. I talked to her friends online but didn’t let them know who I was. Then I found it. The one piece that didn’t make any sense. A guy’s name.
I asked one of her friends about it and she let me down easily. She said that not everyone’s meant to be together. I told her who I really was and then the conversation changed. She hinted at things but didn’t tell me it outright. Eventually, Adelaide signed on and I heard from her. It started out like a typical conversation, but then when I asked her if this was actually working, she said it wasn’t. I tried to stop it, but there was no use. I really wished her the best life and for her to do the amazing things with who she was. And that was the last time I ever talked to her.
The next day I got a ‘formal’ email explaining everything to me. A bunch of high schoolers were behind it all. It was a rough year after that. It left me cold and a bit distant relationship wise, but it really changed me for the better.
Three years later, I have an amazing girlfriend, but it doesn’t feel the same. I don’t think about her as often as I used to. I actually forgot it was her birthday on Monday. I wish I could talk to her and hear from her again. Get some sort of closure.”
Making Things Ridiculously Awkward At Starbucks…

“A girl messaged me on a dating website. She looked ‘ok’ in her pics and I hadn’t been on a date in months, so I figured why not. I invited her to Starbucks. Her profile said she was 5’4, about average body type (matched the picture) and was a red head. I was ok with all of this.
I go to Starbucks that weekend to meet her. Notice she’s not outside, so I go inside to see if I find her. I step inside and look around.
The Starbucks was small, but all the tables were full. Then the girl stands up as she recognized me and approached me.
The girl was a full 6 feet tall and towered over me. At this point, I was a little intimidated because that’s not the 5’4 I expected. I also started to notice that she looked a little different from her pictures and realized she used a picture of a ‘similar’ looking red head for her own. I then look around me and see the entire Starbucks customers and staff are watching us.
It’s here I realized this is why she waited inside if we were surrounded by a bunch of people she thought I wouldn’t make a scene or just flat out walk out on her (it was literally my first instinct). Completely surprised and caught off guard, she asked if I wanted to buy a drink and meet her outside. Ugh, she thought this through.
I grabbed a drink and sat down with her. Almost immediately she just starts talking and tells me she’s the last one of her friends who isn’t married and doesn’t have kids. I look over at her, with my bugged out eyes hidden behind my shades and notice she’s trying to smile but there’s something off. She had bell palsy. The girl also made it obvious to the Starbucks audience so again, if I walked out on her instantly I would look like a jerk (or so she would hope).
She then starts to tell me how she literally almost bought the same condo I did just before me (I never told her I lived there, nor that I was the one who ended up buying it). Creepy as heck!
I told her that she didn’t match her profile. She said it was ‘her info.’
Sure.
I tell her I have to run and she walks with me as I’m on the way to her car. She asks me if I would be interested in a second date. Well, I had no need to be honest with her
‘Sure, I’ll check my schedule and email you on the site.’
‘Or you could text me!’
‘Uh, yeah, I’ll text you instead.’ (There was no FREAKING WAY on Buddha’s fat belly I was going to text her and let her have my number).
I walked into another building and made sure that she left before I got in my car and never talked to her again.”
A Private Investigator Got Involved!

Kumpol Chuansakul/Shutterstock
“I was 16 and for some reason got sucked into a group of people on Yahoo games. Started talking to this guy who I started ‘dating.’ He had a Myspace with very good looking pictures, but not unbelievingly good looking. He claimed to be 17 and from Delaware, said he lived with his aunt because his mom was in Washington, with MS, and his dad hates him. Eventually, my mom found out, flipped on me, and I had everything taken away from me so I lost contact with him. We never mentioned anything sexual in that time.
My first year of college, I was 19 and living on campus. I was on messenger one day and he popped on. Things took off from there. He’d only want to talk sexual, never sent pictures. Had the same pics on MySpace, nothing new. I’d ask for more and he’d say soon. If I asked for special pictures, he’d say he’s embarrassed and ‘too small.’ He’d always get off the phone when his aunt got home. I was stupid and naive and too in love to question him or notice these things. He’d always make vague plans of seeing but always had them canceled. This continued a couple of months.
I, unfortunately, forget what caused us to ‘stop’ talking for almost a year. I think I’ve blocked out a lot of these memories.
The next year I have a girl contact me asking if I know him. I told her my story and she said her uncle was a private investigator and was looking into him.
Turns out he was 34 and married. His aunt was his wife. He stole someone’s pics because he was an obese Asian man. We both reported him (I forget what site it was). Submitted the stolen images and mentioned I was underage when this started.
I searched for his wife, called her at work and told her. She just said, ‘Oh, he’ll never hurt you! He’s just a giant teddy bear.’ I called him one last time and said never contact me again or I’d go to the police, and he hasn’t since. I told him I knew everything and reported him.
About 3 months later I got a letter in the mail calling me as a witness in the state vs. him for ‘personal incrimination.’ I was broke and in NY so I called and got out of it since I was out of state. I have no clue what happened beyond that. I’ve searched and found no court records. I’ve seen he has a twitter but no information beyond that. I’d actually love to know if he got in trouble.”
She Was Not A Registered Nurse Or Rich At All!

“A friend and I frequent dating sites. He was catfished once. She was the head RN at a hospital a half hour away making $150,000 a year and was in love with my friend. She was going to fly him to Vegas after 3 weeks of knowing him and they were going to get married.
He was happy as ever and thinking of pretty much nothing but the money and the hot pictures she was sending him. She said she bought him all this stuff and his kids Ipads and computers and that she had a multimillion dollar house she was going to live in with him. He didn’t think anything was odd but I did so I did some research.
First I called the hospital and they said they never heard of her. Then looked up her phone number which the area code was from Ohio.
After a while, he wised up and started calling her out on stuff. She ended up sending him a box filled with new American Eagle clothes for him and that was pretty much the end of it.”
Demon Girl Had Kids With Another On The Way?

“When I was 20 at the time and she was believed to be 19. Really friendly and, albeit a little odd, I have a thing for quirky people and she was very cute too. When I drove out to her place to pick her up for a date, I accidentally drove right by her, waiting at the side of the road for me, because I didn’t recognize her at first.
First, she was really short. Maybe 5-feet tall at the most (I’m 6’4). Second, from the moment she got in the car, she was as cuddly/close as though we’d been dating for a long time. She was also only 16 years old. Furthermore, she was 7 months pregnant. With kid #3.
Wait, it gets better.
While her name was Lilly, her real, ‘demon name,’ is actually Lillith. Why? Because she isn’t human. To be precise, something along the lines of 50% human, 40% vampire, 8% demon, and 2% angel. it sounds made up, but over the course of the evening, she repeated it SOOOO many times, it was permanently engraved into my mind.
While talking to her and debating whether or not to kick her out of my car or not, I kinda realized something. Something about poor Lillith wasn’t right. In all honesty, she was actually a really cute and adorable kid – demon nonsense aside – who had no sense of right or wrong. She was the perfect mix of wanting and loving to give/receive attention, while not knowing to say ‘no’ and valuing herself. I pitied her to no end T.T
We ended up going on the date, which was my treat since she was broke and hadn’t a penny. Mini golf and snacks/treats in a busy tourist location, with hundreds of eyes on me with an underaged, massively-pregnant, wont-stop-clinging-to-me girl. I knew what I was doing; I was giving this poor girl the only date she’s ever had with a guy that didn’t end in ‘consensual’ sleeping together. I knew it, but that didn’t prepare me for the heartbreaking reality of what she said when I dropped her off at her house.
As I pulled up to her house, she sincerely thanked me for the fun night, saying it’s one of the best she’s ever had, but asked me, ‘Is something wrong? Why haven’t you tried to get with me yet?’ It’s not that she herself wanted to sleep with me, but she’d been so accustomed to being taken advantage of by every guy who ever went out with her, she thought something was wrong with me not ripping her clothes off and forcing myself on her. So sad!
I tried to explain, realized it wouldn’t matter, and then I gave her a big, heartfelt hug and wished her a good night. After she left the car and I bid farewell, I gave a sorrowful sigh at the poor girl’s state, wiped the feels from my heart, and gunned the car without looking back.”
Some Unexpected News As The Plane Landed…

“This isn’t me, but my roommate last year met a girlfriend online. I told him it was never going to work because we live in the south and she lived in Rhode Island or something like that. Well, I was wrong.
They kept talking online over the summer and he announced that he was going to fly up there and see her. I, of course, didn’t tag along to see how they interacted, but all the pictures of ‘her’ on Facebook looked like a dude with an emo haircut. She also wasn’t looking at the camera, looking at my roommate, or smiling in any of the pics.
After spending a week at her house (which was the girl’s parents’ house because she was 16 or 17, I believe, and my roommate was 18 at the time), he flew back and got dumped by her as soon as the plane hit the ground.
He wasted a couple hundred dollars on the tickets, the gifts, and the dates.
Also, it turns out the girl confessed her inner desire to become a man after they parted. I wanted to rub it in his face, but I honestly felt bad for him.”
She Was Asked Why She Faked Her Photos!

“Only once, recently. It actually helped change my view of the practice.
I met a girl on OkCupid, very nice, we clicked pretty quickly and talked for about a month before deciding to meet up. There were no immediate red flags in her profile and her pictures looked legit.
We agreed on a park (I’m a cheap date, what can I say?) for our first meeting and I was lying back on a grassy hill when I hear a voice say my name. I look up and see someone I don’t recognize at all. I was confused and asked her if I knew her. She was quiet for a second before revealing it was the girl I’d been talking to.
She looked radically different from her pictures; the girl I saw in the pictures was quite pretty, very fit, looked like she took good care of herself. The girl that showed up, less so. She was much plainer looking, much more weight than the girl in the photos, and much less sure of herself now.
I asked her why she’d lied, especially considering that I actually did find her real self-attractive. She burst into tears and said she was so scared that people wouldn’t like her that she felt like she had to do this. She had a lot of self-image problems, her shirt sleeve slipped up a couple times and there were a lot of scars.
Initially, I was mad. I’m a really chill, good-natured dude (at least I try to be) and I really hate when people take advantage of that. We talked for a little while and she admitted she was terrified of people and their reaction to how she looked and that this approach helped her get past that. I explained that lying about it wasn’t going to help.
We actually had a pretty good conversation and kept in touch after that but she stopped responding to pretty much everything about two months later. She stopped answering her phone and the texts dropped off. I hope she’s alright and that she stopped catfishing people. It was a shame because I did actually find her attractive and she wasn’t a horrendous human being but I can’t start a relationship on that big of a lie.
After that, I’ve started looking on catfishers with a little more empathy. A lot of them are people who have social issues and don’t mean to be malicious or to hurt people. That doesn’t make it more acceptable, but it’s easier to understand.”
She Was Actually A Changed Man?

“I met a girl on a gaming website, ended up flirting with her and chatting a lot and managed to skype her. She seemed pretty normal as she had a lot of guys hitting on her at the time. I asked if I could go visit her (she was a few states away) she said ok so I bought plane tickets two weeks in advance. Well as I was talking to her more she was really flakey explaining her past to me like at first she said she didn’t have kids, but then, later on, she admitted she had 2 kids. Then she started acting really flaky and I was getting suspicious…like was she an ex-convict? Or maybe she a murderer or some stuff? So I try googling her name and found…nothing! Well, apparently some company had gone through and requested google delete all information on her. So now I confront her about it and she says she just wants privacy and Google is invasive and things like that.
So I end up coming across a criminal records site and decided to look up her record and didn’t find any criminal records but found her alias was ‘Clay’ so I confront her about it and she gets quiet and doesn’t say anything and I’m like is that your brother? I don’t know? She says no I’m him.
So she was definitely a trans and she tried to convince me that she was always a girl, even though ‘he’ had two kids with his previous wife. NOPE! I am not buying it! She was telling me about her trans friends who she hangs out with that are post-op and sleep with hundreds of guys and none of the guys ever knew anything. I was mentally scarred. The worst part is anyone I told this story to would just laugh, uncontrollably.”