Online dating is fun and games until you realize you have been catfished. Uh-oh! Sounds like a bummer.
Online scams involving people using fake identities are so common that six in ten women are likely to have this experience at one point, or two, in their lives.
Here are the most insightful internet catfishing statistics you should know to save yourself from potential scams in the future.
Key Statistics
- The global financial cost of catfishing hit $600 million in 2020
- Dating sites and apps account for 68% of all catfishing incidents
- 13% of American adults have reported being catfished.
- Approximately 20,000 people are targeted by catfishers annually in the United States.
- Monetary deception is the most common motivator for catfishers
- The Philippines has the highest number of reported catfishing incidents in 2020. The country recorded 1,315 cases during the year, with £2,506 average amount loss per victim
- The United Kingdom has the highest cost of romance-related catfishing incidents amounting to £24 million
Top Internet Catfishing Statistics in 2025
In this article, we will provide you with updated internet catfishing statistics to help you go through the motions if you think you are a current victim or a susceptible victim to these scams in the future.
First, let’s start with the most common platforms used by catfishers. Recent data shows 21% of all victims of catfishing met their perpetrator from Facebook.
17% experienced it from another Meta-owned enterprise Instagram, while 15% are from Twitter.
Despite social media platforms being the breeding grounds for catfishing, a more alarming percentage comes from online dating platforms.
68% of all catfishing victims met a person using a fake identity through dating sites and apps.
What is Catfishing?
‘Catfishing’ is a relatively new term. We understand why many people are not familiar with this word despite having had the same experience at one point.
Catfishing is when a person portrays a fake identity online.
It involves the use of fake photos and false information about professions and affiliations for the purpose of deceiving another person.
Typically, the monetary deception is done at a slow pace where the scammer lures his or her victim in a carefully-planned step-by-step process.
First, the perpetrator shows interest and affection to the target until the latter bites the bait.
Once feelings are already invested, the catfisher starts to find ways to draw money out of their new connection.
Methods included making plans to meet in person and asking for financial assistance for the expenses, getting the other person into some type of business investment, and many other ways.
Monetary Loss from Catfishing
Collectively, the reported loss from catfishing amounted to $362 million in 2018.
This amount increased further the following year when the figure hit a record high at $475 million.
The last reported monetary repercussions from this activity were back in 2020 when the FBI reported a significant increase in catfishing loss.
Statistics peaked during the pandemic as people could not go out of their homes to meet face-to-face.
During the year, the monetary value of reported losses amounted to $600 million, a 26% hike from the same period a year ago.
Common Reasons Why People Catfish
Monetary reason may be the most common cause of catfishing, but it is just one part of the big picture.
According to studies, some get involved in this kind of activity due to poor self-esteem.
Pressures of social media tempt many to portray a different identity after feeling unaccepted about their current status.
Another reason is depression and anxiety.
Especially during the pandemic, the number of catfishers skyrocketed as citizens scrambled for a way to entertain themselves in the middle of a bad period.
But the most alarming of all the reasons are targeted revenge and harassment.
Some scammers target people whom they had bad blood in the past, or those to whom they are attracted with.
Smart Way to Ditch Catfishing
While this can happen to anybody, there is always a smart way to prevent internet catfishing from growing.
One easy way to do it is by searching the other person’s photo online.
Did you know that Google has a “search by image” feature where you can use the photo of the other person to prompt a search result?
Go to google.com and use the camera-like feature on the search bar, placed next to the microphone and a magnifying glass.
Just like that, you can see if the other person you’re talking to is a real person or pretending to be someone he or she is not.
Also, you should start being suspicious if the other person you were talking to over the internet always makes excuses when you are initiating a conversation over a video call.
People who do not want to show their faces are normally fake.
Internet Catfishing Statistics
Hiding behind fake profiles is a global problem.
Take a look at the statistics detailing the number of reported catfishing incidents by country.
- Philippines – there were 1,315 reported catfishing incidents in the country in 2020, with £2,506 average amount loss per victim
- Nigeria – there were 1,129 reported catfishing incidents in the country in 2020, with £10,719 average amount loss per victim
- Canada – there were 1,054 reported catfishing incidents in the country in 2020, with £5365 average amount loss per victim
- United Kingdom – there were 978 reported catfishing incidents in the country in 2020, with £25,112 average amount loss per victim
- Türkiye – there were 683 reported catfishing incidents in the country in 2020, with £27,048 average amount loss per victim
- Ghana – there were 534 reported catfishing incidents in the country in 2020, with £15,398 average amount loss per victim
Catfishing in Afghanistan and Other Countries
- Afghanistan – there were 485 reported catfishing incidents in the country in 2020, with £9561 average amount loss per victim
- Germany – there were 361 reported catfishing incidents in the country in 2020, with £9209 average amount loss per victim
- Morocco – there were 314 reported catfishing incidents in the country in 2020, with £949 average amount loss per victim
- Mexico – there were 259 reported catfishing incidents in the country in 2020, with £7717 average amount loss per victim
- United Arab Emirates – there were 249 reported catfishing incidents in the country in 2020, with £28,907 average amount loss per victim
- China – there were 243 reported catfishing incidents in the country in 2020, with £45,004 average amount loss per victim
Monetary Cost of Romance Catfishing
Romance catfishing or scammers extracting money out of their imagined partners is on the rise.
Here is the monetary cost of this type of scam in some countries worldwide.
- United Kingdom – the financial cost of romance catfishing is at £24 million
- Türkiye – the financial cost of romance catfishing is at £18 million
- Nigeria – the financial cost of romance catfishing is at £12 million
- China – the financial cost of romance catfishing is at £10 million
- Ghana – the financial cost of romance catfishing is at £8 million
- UAE – the financial cost of romance catfishing is at £7 million
- South Africa – the financial cost of romance catfishing is at £6 million
- Canada – the financial cost of romance catfishing is at £5 million
- Afghanistan – the monetary cost of romance catfishing is at £4 million
- Malaysia – the financial cost of romance catfishing is at £4 million
Conclusion
We hope you got the most insightful internet catfishing statistics available on the web today.
Remember to be careful with your sneaky links. Some are just too sneaky to be true.
Always check their profiles, never believe in sweet words, and protect yourself at all costs.
