Beware of catfishing

It’s happened to the best of us. There we are perusing the Grindr grid or Sniffies map, only to encounter the hunk of our fantasies. He’s toned, lascivious and responds to every message. His thirst seems unquenchable.

… Because he isn’t real!

While catfishing has always been a problem, the disturbing phenomenon seems more prevalent than ever. Years of unfiltered pic swapping has created a vast library of potential victims, often unbeknownst to them.

Grindr’s (increasingly) restrictive free version is filled with bots and scammers, users say, creating a cruising minefield. Go too far this way, you’re chatting with a fake profile. Too far that way, and you’re trading salacious selfies with a catfish.

Don’t forget to dodge the popup ads!

On Reddit, a gay bro offered up his plight with the orange demon app. He said he was back on the grid after a four-year relationship, and shell-shocked about what awaited him. “So far, my experience is abysmal,” he wrote.

He went on to describe multiple exchanges with catfishes, including an alleged British guy who reeled him in with a normal-looking profile, only to give him a fake WhatsApp number.

His tales of hoe prompted other Reddit bros to share their tips of the trade. The most popular reply advised against sharing WhatsApp or phone numbers without verification. “There is literally no reason to do so given that conversations are preserved,” the person said.

Back in the day, chats often disappeared, leading to the oft-repeated profile line, “lost chats.” But that’s no longer the case: chats are now saved and no longer clear when a user logs out. Asking for a phone number is an unnecessary safeguard.

Besides, that’s what Instagram is for!

“Instagram is better because you can gauge if the profile is real or not (what types of pics are they posting? how frequently? how old is the account? etc.),” said the digitally literate bro. “Use your judgement. Best to ask for pics on Grindr first, then use Instagram to cross-check.”