Manti Te’O Catfishing Scandal

Social Media & Public Relations Specialist Kris Ruby of Ruby Media Group on Notre Dame’s Manti Te’o’s Girlfriend Hoax & Catfish Scandal 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

The world of Internet Dating has changed. Catfishing is here to stay.  Whether you are a pro football player or someone in the midwest, catfishing can happen to just about anyone. Here are some tips on how to protect yourself from becoming the next victim of a social media catfishing scandal.

What Social Media lessons can we all learn from this hoax?

1. Always do background checks on your dates. Background checks are cost-effective and can save you time and much heartache in the long run!

2. If you are going to engage in Internet dating, utilize social video platforms including FaceTime & Skype to ensure you are actually speaking with a “real” person who is who they say they are.

3. If someone claims to have a medical illness or is on the verge of “death” find out what hospital they are staying at and call the hospital. This is often the first way that many catfishing scandals are found out when the boyfriend calls the hospital and finds out there is no record of their alleged Internet “girlfriend” staying there.

4. If you meet someone on an Internet dating site, connect with them on multiple social media platforms, not just one. It will be much harder for them to keep up a lie on Facebook, YouTube, Twitter and LinkedIn then keeping up a lie on just one network. 0 connections on LinkedIn or a lack of professional resume on LinkedIn is often a dead giveaway you might be involved in a catfish scandal.