Kentucky Woman Shares Warning Signs You're Being Catfished

Kathy Huckleberry

I think the worst part of it is that my trust in people is truly broken. -Kathy Huckleberry from Glasgow, Kentucky.

I have known my friend Kathy since we were kids. We went to school together, graduated from Daviess County High School way back in 1989 and have stayed in touch via social media over the years. She recently shared her experience with getting catfished.

I knew Kathy's story was an important one to share, so I asked her if she would be willing to share her experience to help prevent this from happening to other women. Honestly, it happens to men too. Kathy agreed and here's her story.

HOW THE ONLINE RELATIONSHIP STARTED

Kathy says her recent relationship started in an rather unlikely place. She says, "There was a guy that messaged me on Instagram. I usually don't talk to people on there, but he looked nice in his pic, was friendly and intelligent, so we just started talking."

Kathy adds that for about the next ten days, she and "Dave Johnson" spent time getting to know each other. They really hit it off and most definitely shared a connection and chemistry- even if it was restricted to the internet. She says, "We talked to each other just about life and life experiences."

After about a week, Dave asked Kathy to be his girlfriend. Kathy, who's been single for the last seven years, thought about it, then said, "Yeah, what's the harm? It's just a title."

Only, it wasn't really just a title. Kathy was getting invested in Dave, who claimed to be a surgeon working in Yemen. While that may have seemed a bit far-fetched, other aspects of his life didn't. They seemed real, relatable. He claimed to be a widower with a 9-year-old daughter. That certainly connected with Kathy, who has a young daughter of her own.

Kathy Huckleberry

Over the next few days, the two were sending photos back and forth and getting to know each other on a deeper level. And then, just like that, a few things occurred that seemed a little off.

SOUND THE ALARM

Kathy says, "The first warning sign was that he wanted me to get off Instagram and talk to him in Google Chat." That's a suggestion that she's experienced before. She says "most people that try to talk to me want me to move over to Google Chat of What's App." Despite her initial reservations, she agreed to do it and did.

Then, something else happened that seemed rather alarming. Kathy says, "On Day 10, he told me that I was the one for him and that he loved me." In Kathy's words, "Ding! Ding! Ding! My alarm bells really went off."

Admittedly, Kathy was in a bit of dilemma. She liked Dave, but something in her gut was telling her that he was too good to be true. So, she did a reverse Google search on some of the photos he had sent her.

As she suspected, Dave Johnson was a fraud. And those photos? They were all over YouTube in various Catch the Catfish videos.

Kathy learned the hard way that there are tons of scammers who use these particular photos. She also had to accept that she was now a statistic- one of the many women who had been the victim of such a scam. "Well, needless to say, when I found out, I gave this guy a good cursing and sent him the evidence that I had."

His response? "I'm sorry."

Kathy blocked "Dave" and reported him. But the anger gave way to the harsh reality of emotion. Kathy says, "I felt really stupid after this happened. I cried for several days." In retrospect though, Kathy admits that she's glad it ended before she got "too far in."

But she's learned something many victims of catfishing learn. She says, "I guarantee it will never happen again." And as much as it hurt at first, Kathy says she's sharing her story in the hopes that it helps someone.

So, what are the warning signs to be on the lookout for? Kathy has compiled a list fo five warning signs based on her personal experience.

THE FIVE WARNING SIGNS YOU'RE BEING CATFISHED

CANVA