Key Takeaways:
- Using a reverse phone lookup tool is one of the best ways to verify that the person you’re falling for online is accurately representing themselves.
- Watch out for red flags like never being able to video chat, refusing to meet in person, or asking for money, all of which could be signs you’re falling for a catfish.
- Spokeo has been used to uncover many high-profile catfish, including those on MTV’s Catfish.
Between shows like MTV’s Catfish and high-profile incidents like Manti Te’o’s “girlfriend,” it’s more than fair that many of us have learned to be skeptical of people we meet online. But in the age of online dating, how can you verify that the person you’re falling for is who they say they are?
Here, the catfish-catching experts at Spokeo share how to conduct your own catfish phone number search, as well as other ways you can sniff out any would-be catfishers before any emotional or financial damage is done!
The Best Online Tools to Uncover a Catfish
Before we get into the “how tos,” let’s quickly cover the main tools you’ll want to have ready when it comes time to uncover a catfish (or better yet, confirm an identity):
- Reverse phone lookup. When it comes to finding out whether a person is real or a catfish, this will be your number one tool. By simply putting a phone number into a reverse phone lookup tool, like Spokeo, the tool searches a robust database of public info like physical addresses, email addresses, and social profiles to produce matches. (To learn more about what a reverse phone lookup can uncover, check out this article.)
- Reverse image search. If you don’t get a definitive finding from the phone number, or you just want some additional confirmation that the pictures you are receiving aren’t stolen or fake, reverse image searches can also be a good way to out a would-be catfisher. While there are specific services for this, Google Images allows you to upload any image saved on your device (or copy the URL of images online) and search using that image for free. Results that may turn up could include the exact same pic used on a different person’s profile, pics that contain said image, or similar images. It’s a great way to see if a potential catfish has stolen their profile pic from an existing source.
- Background checks. Once online sleuths start to get a handle on the real identity of a catfish, good old-fashioned background checks — a paid service offered by many online services (Spokeo included!) — scour everything from criminal records* to social media profiles, helping shed light on any potential past misdeeds.
*Additional fees may apply
How to Do Your Own Catfish Phone Number Search
Most catfishing schemes are a long con, using the promise of a relationship to eventually drain victims of their money. If you have a phone number, however, you might be able to catch them before it’s too late.
Here’s how:
- Navigate to Spokeo’s reverse phone lookup tool.
- Enter the phone number and hit “Search Now.”
- Select “view report” to uncover all available information associated with that phone number, including names, current/past addresses, social media accounts, and more. This may help you verify if the person you are connecting with online is actually representing themselves or if they are a catfish.
Yup, it’s that easy. And whether you already subscribe to Spokeo or just want to pay for a one-time search, it definitely beats losing a whole lot of time, money, and emotional energy to a catfish.
How to Spot a Catfish
Like we mentioned (and you probably know), the internet is a fine place to meet people…so long as you exercise a bit of caution.
That doesn’t mean you need to immediately break out the above tools every time you interact with someone online, but if your interactions are headed into some form of a relationship, look for these signs that you might be dealing with a catfish:
- They always have an excuse for why they can’t meet you in person or on a video call.
- They frequently ask for money or gifts.
- Whenever you try to get more information, they resort to love bombing.
- They ask for very personal/private information (that can be used for identity theft or blackmail).
- Reverse number searches and image searches reveal different names and social media profiles.
If you run into any of these, the reality is you’re most likely dealing with a catfish.
FAQs
What search engine does Catfish use for phone numbers?
Spokeo consistently appeared as a people search tool across Catfish’s nine seasons. We were even mentioned by name on the show as far back as 2013.
How do pros find out people’s real identities?
In a Reddit AMA (“Ask Me Anything”), Catfish host Nev Schulman calls Spokeo the “single best resource” for catfish detectives. “If you have their phone number, you can put it in the Spokeo.com website, and you might have to pay a small fee, but it’s worth it, considering that it will usually give you who the phone is registered to and sometimes even an address.”
Can Google help catch a catfish?
Google can be an okay tool, but experienced scammers know how to cover their tracks when it comes to a basic online search, and Google alone won’t always uncover a catfish.
Try Spokeo to see for yourself — just think of it as your own personal Catfish people finder. With the same tools the pros use, Spokeo might just signal the demise of the scammer.
Note: References to Catfish do not imply endorsement of Spokeo.
Cyrus Grant is a writer from Southern California with a background in law and dispute resolution. When he isn’t writing, he can be found deep-diving into the latest technology trends or simply spending time at the beach.