That One Time I was Catfished

Have you seen the documentary or TV show "Catfish"? It's a really interesting story of a man who met a girl online and talked to her for months on the phone and through text. He really fell for her. One day he decided to surprise her with a visit and when he showed up there was no girl... just a lonely old lady. Anyways, I've done my fair share of online dating and this has never happened to me... until this week. 

It actually started on Instagram. A user I didn't know started following me and liked a bunch of my posts. Since I didn't know him, I asked who he was and if we knew each other. He sent me back a direct message (privately) saying he had found me while searching for someone else and thought I was cute.

Now, I don't usually go for this kind of stuff, but obviously I found him attractive. AND he said he was Mormon and had a little girl. We chatted innocently for the next few days but I just had this icky feeling in the bottom of my stomach. First of all, I thought he might be gay. His pictures and his profession gave me that impression. I didn't want to be judgmental though, so I thought I'd keep getting to know him. He asked me out for Saturday and I didn't really give him a straight yes or no answer because of the icky feeling. 

This morning I went to tell my friend Britni about the mysterious guy and my concerns/feelings. Turns out he works with her friends... or does he?! Long story short, we found the real guy's Facebook page. Turns out creepy Catfish homeboy had stolen all of his photos, created a fake Instagram and Facebook account. When I confronted him about it, he blocked me. 

Here are my feelings on the matter:

1. Always trust your instincts. 
2. What did he think was going to happen on Saturday when I met him and he clearly was not the person he said he was?
3. Always be smart. Meet in public places and do your research. 
4. Make your Facebook, Instagram and Twitter profiles private. 
5. I actually feel very violated. If I was distrusting before, this only worsened the matter.

Oh, and don't worry. We are telling the real man that someone is doing this to him.