Evasiveness and inconsistencies were what tipped off Debbie* initially that perhaps she was being catfished by her online boyfriend and love interest. After meeting via WeChat and texting on and off for about three years, she discovered several inconsistencies and realised that she was one of many women and men targeted by opportunists online. Debbie says that at first she didn’t suspect anything “because it seemed legit” – until she couldn’t get the man to make a video call or to meet her in person. “It was even weirder when I’d find missed video calls on my phone when he tried to call me, but then when I called back he was always ‘busy’.”
By then, they’d been chatting for a few years and had moved on to WhatsApp – he also added her on Instagram and Facebook. In addition to the reluctance to share video calls, Debbie says her match was doing suspicious things and posting pictures that didn’t match the information he was sharing and the person he claimed to be. “It was a challenge, because there was
