Running head: CATFISHING & KIDNAPPING 1

Catfishing to kidnapping

University of Texas at El Paso

RWS 1301

Alondra Hernandez

November 22, 2017

Author Note

This article is about Teens and children that has been a victim of catfishing that lead to

kidnapping.
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Table of Contents

Abstract ............................................................................................................................... 3

[Catfishing to Kidnapping] ................................................................................................. 4

Why are teens being catfished and getting kidnapped?]..................................................... 4

[How many teens meets their online lover?] ............................................................... 5

[Parents know that their teen are being catfish or catfishing online. Why do they

need to know? ] ....................................................................................................................... 5

Conclusion6

References ........................................................................................................................... 7

TableE

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Abstract

Catfishing is when a person lures (someone) into a relationship by a fictional online persona.

Internet predators that fabricate online identities and entire social circles to trick people into

emotional/romantic relationships. Now in days man teens and adults uses the social media to find

romantic relationships, or hoping that theyll find the one. Are they certain that theyre talking to

the real person, or are they being catfishes? There are many cases that catfishing leads to

teenagers to becoming a kidnapped victim.

Keywords: Catfishing and Kidnapping.

Catfishing to kidnapping

WHY ARE TEENS BEING CATFISHED AND GETTING KIDNAPPED?

Many young teens and adults are using social media to find a relationship or to be hooking up

with others. Many teens and adults dont know that on the other side of the laptop theyre not

actually talking to their online-lover. They are talking to a predator looking for a perfect

kidnap victim. In most cases the predator will try their best to lure the victim to fall in love with

the fake person online. The predator will sweet-talk to the victim to believe on what the victim

says for example, the predator will romantic things to the victim luring the victim to fall in love

and will do anything for the predator. Not only sweet-talking to the victim will persuade the

victim to the predators trap, the predator will send a huge amount of money to the victim, just to

make the victim to look weak or whipped. To teens and adults that does look dangerous at all,

but that the first phase to the predators trap.

The second phase is when the predator has full control on the victim the predator will finally

want to meet the victim. The victim will think this is just a date, but the predator has other

thoughts about this so called date. Once the victim is alone with the predator, the predator will

attack the victim talking full advantage of the victim, or the predator will take the victim to an

unknown location. In most cases the predator will kidnap the victim and most likely sell the

victim in a human sex trafficking operation or on the dark-web porn sites. The predator will do

this for money that the human sex trafficking will offer to the predator. The sex trafficking mob

will offer the predator $3,200 or more depending on the age of the victim, so age does count

when it comes to sex trafficking. About 2 million kids, teens, and adults were human sex

trafficking victims, making about $32 billion dollars alone in the year of 2014.
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How many teens had meet their online-lover?

According to research from Pew Research Center Research survey, Sept 25- Oct 9, 2014

only 8% of American teens have met their online lover in person. 26% out of 35% of teens that

have been in a romantic relationship has not met their online lover in person. Which teens have

higher risk of being kidnapped than meeting the online lover in person. The 26% has a higher

risk of being kidnap or being black-mailed from the predator. If the victim sends nudes of

themselves to the predator it gives the predator a perfect chance to get what he/she wants. The

8% has a lower risk of being kidnap, since they already know who theyre talking to online.

Parents know that their teens of catfishing or being catfish online. Why do they need

to know?

Many parents are very aware that the internet isnt safe for their kids and teens, but many

parents arent aware that their teens are being catfish or catfishing people online. Why should

parents be aware of their teens when it comes to catfishing? According to the article that Family

Zone posted on their blog, there was a case in Astularia were an Australian man was charged of

committing 931 case of child sex related crimes posing as the infamous pop singer Justin Bieber

online to lure teens to send nudes to suppose Justin Bieber online. Unfortunately, many teens had

agreed to meet the predator in person, there is no further information if the unlucky victims have

been forced into the human sex trafficking. No parent was to go through the pain and suffering of

losing their children, due to the child being a victim of catfishing.

Conclusion.

I believe that we need to be more cautious about online catfishing, we might never know

who will be the next victim or the next missing person. We dont want the next generations to
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have many gaps in their population, we dont need another person to be a victim or to be a

predator.
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References

1) Anderson, M., Lenhart, A., & Smith. A. Pew Research Center. (October 1, 2015).

Retrieved from http://www.pewinternet.org/2015/10/01/teens-teaching-andromantic-

relationship

2) DeGarmo. J. DR. (November 17,2016). The shocking truth of child sex trafficking.

Retrieved from https://www.huffingtonpost.com/entry/the-shocking-truth-of-child-

sex-trafficking

3) Grove E., Micoleta J., & Papadakis, E. (March 2,2013). Retrieved from

http://www.huffingtonpost.com/2013/03/12/teens-discuss-online-relationships-

and_n_2792601.html

4) Lohmann, R.C MS, LPCS. (April 30,2013). The two-sided face teen catfishing

Retrieved from https://www.psychologytoday.com/blog/teen-angst/201304/the-two-

sided-face-teen-catfishing

5) Scheff. S (February-2016). Catfishing teens falling for fake online identities.

Retrieved from https://www.crisisprevention.com/blog/February-2016/catfishing

6) Scheff. S (January 25, 2013). Catfish: why parent need to discuss it with their teens.

Retrieved from https://www.huffingtonpost.com/sue-scheff/catfish_b_2529769.html