How to net your catfish
to know it was really him after all this time. He agreed.
“I was so nervous but when I saw his face I was hysterical.
“It was really him. The man I had fallen for with was real. His English was perfect too.”
He explained he was a model and aspiring actor in Turkey. Emma then sent a screenshot hot of Adam and herself on FaceTime to Alan, and nd told him to leavee Adam’s photoss alone. She said: “I wanted Alan to know what he did was wrong.”
For seven months, s, the pair spoke nearly arly every day. Adam then moved 2,000 miles to be with Emma in Richmond. She says: “I was so nervous at the airport when I went to pick him up.
“He came up to me smiling and we hugged. I burst into tears. Now we are taking each day as it comes, but I have never been happier.”
Adam is planning to continue his modelling career in the UK. Speaking of Alan, he says: “I knew there were people in Turkey stealing my identity but I had no idea it was happening in the UK too. “I don’t know what to say about Alan. Sometimes what he did makes me angry but sometimes I feel grateful to him because I would never have met Emma.” When we contacted Alan, he admitted his act actions were wrong and wished t the pair the best. He said: “I have asked myselfmy a million times whyw I did it. “I k new s he wouldn’t talk to me as Alan, that’s why I u used the photos. I k know what I did was wrongw and felt guilty butbu the more she involvedinvo me, the harder it was to admitad what I’d done. “I was going through a low point and wanted someone to talk to. But I think it’s brilliant Emma and Adam have met. It’s almost like fate.” Emma adds: “My catfish became cupid and now we’re living happily ever after. There’s no point holding grudges. I hope Alan meets someone nice too who will love him for who he really is.” INVESTIGATOR Rebecca Jane’s top tips on spotting a catfish. CHECK PROFILES CAREFULLY Most people have been on social media 10-15 years . Does their profile go back this far? Real people will often have friends tag them in posts and be seen with them. ARE THEIR POSTS AND WHAT THEY TELL YOU CONSISTENT? If they say they visited Dubai in 2012, check posts from that time and place. Do the images seem natural? One catfisher sent women snaps of his dog. One day it w as fully grown, the next a puppy. CHECK THEIR WORK HISTORY. Are they featured on a company website? Do they lack specific knowledge of their field? If they have a profile on LinkedIn, check it matches what they have told you. DO THEY HAVE AN EXCUSE FOR EVERYTHING? Catfishers give elaborate excuses to avoid face to face contact, such as a family member’s death. REVERSE IMAGE SEARCH Upload suspicious images to https:// ctrlq.org/google/images. Click “show matches”. One searcher found a “live” snap from a jet window was from a travel blog. ASK THEM TO VIDEO CALL Don’t believe them if they say their camera doesn’t work.
My catfish became cupid. Now we’re living happily ever after