Hg’s written about online dating before, but this week’s Cyber Tip of the Week explores how online investigators and online daters can use SocialCatfish to find out if someone’s stringing a client or yourself along.

In 2010, the world of online dating hucksters was exposed in the documentary Catfish, directed by Henry Joost and Ariel Schulman. It follows Nev as he seeks to find love on Facebook. As the story unfolds, it’s revealed that one of the women Nev is corresponding with has created multiple fake accounts, with multiple fake stories, unbeknownst to Nev … until he travels to Michigan to meet her in person.

What’s a catfish got to do with this storyline? Nev’s brother draws a similarity to how people need to be alert and active while interacting with people online, much like cod need to be active while in transit with catfish. The analogy stuck, and “Catfish” has become a common term in the English language dating lexicon. If you’ve been “catfished,” you’ve been had by someone who deceived you while dating online.

SocialCatfish’s search engine is very detailed, allowing for first, middle, and last names; country, state, city; and age. You can also search by email, phone, username, or image. Social Catfish scans data across myriad online platforms and public records to provide detailed information about a person’s social profiles (Twitter, Facebook, etc), usernames affiliated with the person’s name, dating sites the person has used, the person’s age, any aliases, and images.

Users should be aware that SocialCatfish charges a fee for its services: $5.73 for an 8-day trial period, after which your credit card or PayPal account will be charged $27.48/month until you call 1-844-422-8347  or email [email protected] to cancel.

You do not need to pay a fee to remove a client or yourself from SocialCatfish. To opt out, find your profile, hover your mouse pointer over the yellow “See Full Result Button,” and right click to have a short menu pop up. “Copy Link Address” and then go to the Opt Out Page and place your saved link address and proceed with the final steps.  You will need to check your email to complete the process. SocialCatfish notes a 2-3 week period for all updates to be made to their site.

If you are working a catfishing or online dating case, be sure to check out their Catfish 101, located within their site menu. Catfish 101 includes articles about common online dating sites for catfishing such as Plenty of Fish, KIK Messenger, eHarmony, OkCupid, and Tinder. There are also recommended steps for someone to take if they are being catfished.