catfish

What it means

Someone who creates a fake online identity, usually with stolen or doctored photos, to deceive people, often in dating or relationships. It can also be used as a verb for the act of luring someone with that fake persona.

Examples

• Turns out my match was a total catfish.
• Her profile pics were ten years old, classic catfish.
• He tried to catfish me with a celebrity's photos.
• Always video chat first so you don't get catfished.

Where it comes from

Popularized by the 2010 documentary 'Catfish' and the MTV show that followed, which exposed people in deceptive online relationships. The term became shorthand for fake online identities.

Related slang