catfishing

catfishing

1. present participle and gerund of catfish (“to fish for catfish”)

catfishing

1. present participle and gerund of catfish (“to create and operate a fake online profile”)

catfishing (usually uncountable, plural catfishings)

1. (Internet) The practice of creating a fake profile on a social media platform in order to deceive people.
   • 2013 January 17, Mary Pilon, “In Te’o Story, Deception Ripped From the Screen”, in The New York Times‎^[1], →ISSN, archived from the original on 20 December 2020:

     For the most part, catfishing is not against the law, said Bradley Shear, a Washington-based lawyer who has examined legal issues related to social media.

• fishing cat