The Daily

The age of social media has allowed us to be whoever we want. It has created a space for people to express their true selves, but it has also created a space for the “catfish”: a person who creates a false online identity in order to scam another individual.

Often these people are dismissed with contempt, but a new study conducted by the School of Psychology at the University of Queensland, aims to uncover the psychology of catfishers by surveying the scammers themselves.

To discuss the psychology of catfish scammers, I’m joined by one of the researchers conducting the study, senior lecturer Dr Eric Vanman.

And if you happen to be a catfish, you can contribute to the study at tinyurl.com/catfishstudy.