The Catfish Catfished

It is so common in today’s day and age to hear about individuals being catfished by their friends or online lovers. Unfortunately, people are far too trusting of images and do not push or demand more photos, video chat, and phone calls.

I was flipping through the channels the other night, and the TV show Catfish from MTV was on, and the story was about a person namely Jose who had been in the series a previous season as someone who catfished a man who thought he was dating a woman. Jose would alter his voice to sound like a female, and he would carry on this farce for some time. Well, Jose was exposed the previous season by Nev and Max the hosts of the TV show.

Then they received an email from Jose’s friends who informed them that Jose had just been catfished and needed some investigative assistance to determine who he was talking to. So Nev and Max did their background checks and cyber investigations, completing image searches, reverse phone checks and social media investigating to confirm who the person was Jose was talking to. Nev and Max end up confirming that the person in the pictures that Jose had from the Facebook account was fake and not the same person as Jose had been speaking to on a daily basis. Nev and Max called the individual that Jose had been speaking to and asked him if he would attend the TV show to explain the situation and what happened. Reluctantly the individual actually attended a local park where Nev, Max, and Jose were. He introduced himself as Jose and apologized to Jose for lying to him and said that he had not emotional or sexual feelings for Jose that it was a fake profile he had setup to just escape his own life. In the end, both Jose’s makeup and seem to remain friends months down the road.

Now, why are we telling you this?

You see this on TV shows all the time, and they have stories like this they share but what about all the people who get frauded online from meeting people who are not on TV. If you are dating someone, and you are not sure who they are, and they will not confirm their identity call our private investigators in Toronto, Ottawa, Barrie, Mississauga or anywhere in Ontario and we can find out who the person is by completing a background check, skip trace, locate, cyber investigation, etc. We often see people hurt and sometimes financially taken advantage of so please give us a call anytime or email anytime to ask questions and we recommend that you do not send money to any individual online that you are dating without having confirmation of who they are an if it is a loan contract stating the terms of the loan.

About the Author

Whitney Joy Smith

Whitney Joy Smith is a prominent figure in the field of private investigation and security, serving as the founder and CEO of The Smith Investigation Agency Inc., Smith Security Inc., and Training Centre Canada, as well as a sitting politician.

With a remarkable journey that began in the early 2000s, Whitney's professional background as a private investigator is underscored by her unwavering dedication to the role. Born in Canada and having spent her early years between Canada and the United States, Whitney possesses a unique perspective shaped by her experiences in both countries. This background equips her with an in-depth understanding of the intricacies of private investigative laws, regulations, and operational standards in North America.

Throughout her career, Whitney has garnered numerous industry awards and accolades. She takes great pride in working closely with her continually expanding agency, striving to elevate industry standards, maintain compliance, and effectively meet the diverse investigative needs of clients.

Whitney actively engages in various membership, committee, board and support roles, demonstrating her commitment to the industry and professional community. She is affiliated with all local chambers, associations and more.

Whitney's wealth of experience is not limited to her professional achievements; her thought-provoking articles have been featured in publications ranging from Readers Digest, Cosmopolitan, Huffington Post, and Mens Health to Business News Daily. She constantly seeks to redefine standards and push the boundaries of excellence within the private investigative and security fields.

To discover more about Whitney Joy Smith and the dedicated team at The Smith Investigation Agency Inc., visit our website to learn more.