Catfishing in cybersecurity is the creation of a fake online persona to deceive, exploit, or defraud victims, often for financial gain, data theft, or romance scams. Attackers steal identities to build trust on social media or dating apps, using tactics like grooming, extortion (sextortion), or phishing for corporate secrets
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Catfishing in cybersecurity is the creation of a fake online persona to deceive, exploit, or defraud victims, often for financial gain, data theft, or romance scams. Attackers steal identities to build trust on social media or dating apps, using tactics like grooming, extortion (sextortion), or phishing for corporate secrets
Cite this term
Election Security Glossary. (2026). Catphish. In Election Security Glossary. Retrieved August 21, 2026, from https://electionsecurityglossary.com/glossary/catphish
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