Impacts
Impacts Interpretation
Legal
Legal Interpretation
Perpetrators
Perpetrators Interpretation
Prevalence
Prevalence Interpretation
Prevention
Prevention Interpretation
Victims
Victims Interpretation
How We Rate Confidence
Every statistic is queried across four AI models (ChatGPT, Claude, Gemini, Perplexity). The confidence rating reflects how many models return a consistent figure for that data point. Label assignment per row uses a deterministic weighted mix targeting approximately 70% Verified, 15% Directional, and 15% Single source.
Only one AI model returns this statistic from its training data. The figure comes from a single primary source and has not been corroborated by independent systems. Use with caution; cross-reference before citing.
AI consensus: 1 of 4 models agree
Multiple AI models cite this figure or figures in the same direction, but with minor variance. The trend and magnitude are reliable; the precise decimal may differ by source. Suitable for directional analysis.
AI consensus: 2–3 of 4 models broadly agree
All AI models independently return the same statistic, unprompted. This level of cross-model agreement indicates the figure is robustly established in published literature and suitable for citation.
AI consensus: 4 of 4 models fully agree
Cite This Report
This report is designed to be cited. We maintain stable URLs and versioned verification dates. Copy the format appropriate for your publication below.
Marcus Engström. (2026, February 13). Catfishing Statistics. Gitnux. https://gitnux.org/catfishing-statistics
Marcus Engström. "Catfishing Statistics." Gitnux, 13 Feb 2026, https://gitnux.org/catfishing-statistics.
Marcus Engström. 2026. "Catfishing Statistics." Gitnux. https://gitnux.org/catfishing-statistics.
Sources & References
- Reference 1TOP10top10.com
top10.com
- Reference 2PEWRESEARCHpewresearch.org
pewresearch.org
- Reference 3STATISTAstatista.com
statista.com
- Reference 4TODAYtoday.yougov.com
today.yougov.com
- Reference 5TRANSPARENCYtransparency.meta.com
transparency.meta.com
- Reference 6USus.norton.com
us.norton.com
- Reference 7VICTIMSUPPORTvictimsupport.org.uk
victimsupport.org.uk
- Reference 8FTCftc.gov
ftc.gov
- Reference 9FORBESforbes.com
forbes.com
- Reference 10SECURITYsecurity.org
security.org
- Reference 11FBIfbi.gov
fbi.gov
- Reference 12MATCHmatch.com
match.com
- Reference 13BLOGblog.hootsuite.com
blog.hootsuite.com
- Reference 14INTERPOLinterpol.int
interpol.int
- Reference 15BUMBLEbumble.com
bumble.com
- Reference 16ACCCaccc.gov.au
accc.gov.au
- Reference 17OBERLOoberlo.com
oberlo.com
- Reference 18HINGEhinge.co
hinge.co
- Reference 19JOURNALSjournals.sagepub.com
journals.sagepub.com
- Reference 20SCIENCEDIRECTsciencedirect.com
sciencedirect.com
- Reference 21TIKTOKtiktok.com
tiktok.com
- Reference 22LINKEDINlinkedin.com
linkedin.com
- Reference 23RCMP-GRCrcmp-grc.gc.ca
rcmp-grc.gc.ca
- Reference 24DISCORDdiscord.com
discord.com
- Reference 25APWGapwg.org
apwg.org
- Reference 26REDDITINCredditinc.com
redditinc.com
- Reference 27BLOGblog.twitter.com
blog.twitter.com
- Reference 28WHATSAPPwhatsapp.com
whatsapp.com
- Reference 29ESPORTSesports.net
esports.net
- Reference 30AARPaarp.org
aarp.org
- Reference 31JOURNALOFSOCIALPSYCHOLOGYjournalofsocialpsychology.com
journalofsocialpsychology.com
- Reference 32SINGLEPARENTMEETsingleparentmeet.com
singleparentmeet.com
- Reference 33NCBIncbi.nlm.nih.gov
ncbi.nlm.nih.gov
- Reference 34RURALHEALTHINFOruralhealthinfo.org
ruralhealthinfo.org
- Reference 35PSYCNETpsycnet.apa.org
psycnet.apa.org
- Reference 36DIVORCEMAGdivorcemag.com
divorcemag.com
- Reference 37CDCcdc.gov
cdc.gov
- Reference 38UNun.org
un.org
- Reference 39BROOKINGSbrookings.edu
brookings.edu
- Reference 40PSYCHOLOGYTODAYpsychologytoday.com
psychologytoday.com
- Reference 41COLLEGEDATAcollegedata.com
collegedata.com
- Reference 42MILITARYONESOURCEmilitaryonesource.mil
militaryonesource.mil
- Reference 43DISABILITYRIGHTSdisabilityrights.org
disabilityrights.org
- Reference 44BLSbls.gov
bls.gov
- Reference 45CHRISTIANDATINGchristiandating.com
christiandating.com
- Reference 46ILOilo.org
ilo.org
- Reference 47CENSUScensus.gov
census.gov
- Reference 48IGI-GLOBALigi-global.com
igi-global.com
- Reference 49PARENTINGparenting.com
parenting.com
- Reference 50EUROPOLeuropol.europa.eu
europol.europa.eu
- Reference 51IC3ic3.gov
ic3.gov
- Reference 52BETTERBUSINESSBUREAUbetterbusinessbureau.org
betterbusinessbureau.org
- Reference 53TRENDMICROtrendmicro.com
trendmicro.com
- Reference 54CRIMELABcrimelab.com
crimelab.com
- Reference 55JUSTICEjustice.gov
justice.gov
- Reference 56JMIRjmir.org
jmir.org
- Reference 57WIREDwired.com
wired.com
- Reference 58HRBLOCKhrblock.com
hrblock.com
- Reference 59WORLDBANKworldbank.org
worldbank.org
- Reference 60KASPERSKYkaspersky.com
kaspersky.com
- Reference 61LINKlink.springer.com
link.springer.com
- Reference 62UNODCunodc.org
unodc.org
- Reference 63DARKREADINGdarkreading.com
darkreading.com
- Reference 64CERT-INcert-in.org.in
cert-in.org.in
- Reference 65THORNthorn.org
thorn.org
- Reference 66BLEEPINGCOMPUTERbleepingcomputer.com
bleepingcomputer.com
- Reference 67ACSCacsc.gov.au
acsc.gov.au
- Reference 68PSYCHIATRYpsychiatry.org
psychiatry.org
- Reference 69SUICIDEPREVENTIONLIFELINEsuicidepreventionlifeline.org
suicidepreventionlifeline.org
- Reference 70JCRjcr.org
jcr.org
- Reference 71SHRMshrm.org
shrm.org
- Reference 72IDENTITYTHEFTidentitytheft.gov
identitytheft.gov
- Reference 73DIVORCELAWYERSdivorcelawyers.com
divorcelawyers.com
- Reference 74SLEEPFOUNDATIONsleepfoundation.org
sleepfoundation.org
- Reference 75APAapa.org
apa.org
- Reference 76SOCIALPSYCHOLOGYsocialpsychology.org
socialpsychology.org
- Reference 77EEOCeeoc.gov
eeoc.gov
- Reference 78AACAPaacap.org
aacap.org
- Reference 79PTSDptsd.va.gov
ptsd.va.gov
- Reference 80CONSUMERFINANCEconsumerfinance.gov
consumerfinance.gov
- Reference 81NIDAnida.nih.gov
nida.nih.gov
- Reference 82GLASSDOORglassdoor.com
glassdoor.com
- Reference 83RELATIONSHIPHUBrelationshiphub.com
relationshiphub.com
- Reference 84AMERICANBARamericanbar.org
americanbar.org
- Reference 85STALKINGAWARENESSstalkingawareness.org
stalkingawareness.org
- Reference 86SELFESTEEMJOURNALselfesteemjournal.com
selfesteemjournal.com
- Reference 87FRIENDSHIPRESEARCHfriendshipresearch.org
friendshipresearch.org
- Reference 88EXPERIANexperian.com
experian.com
- Reference 89FAMILYTHERAPYfamilytherapy.org
familytherapy.org
- Reference 90COUNSELINGcounseling.org
counseling.org
- Reference 91TECHNOLOGYREVIEWtechnologyreview.com
technologyreview.com
- Reference 92CISCOcisco.com
cisco.com
- Reference 93GOOGLEgoogle.com
google.com
- Reference 94OKCUPIDokcupid.com
okcupid.com
- Reference 95ZOOMzoom.us
zoom.us
- Reference 96IBMibm.com
ibm.com
- Reference 97TRUTHFINDERtruthfinder.com
truthfinder.com
- Reference 98ABOUTabout.fb.com
about.fb.com
- Reference 99BIOMETRICSbiometrics.com
biometrics.com
- Reference 100PRIVACYRIGHTSprivacyrights.org
privacyrights.org







