PSA Catfish on the Bump *please read*

theholmanherd

I normally wouldn't do this, and I know it violates TOU to post a thread, but I think there is an important lesson to be learned from July 14 right now. If you can stand the tickers and photos in siggys, please check out the newb in town thread (almost 100K views) on July 14. They caught a catfish who stole photos of other people and other children to pass off as her own. It's a great cautionary tale for internet safety. That's exactly why I don't post photos of myself online anywhere (not even FB). Now, the user herself (and her ae) have been banned, but we all know changing an IP is not hard to do and she's likely to come back and intro somewhere else. She was on here all day every day, for over a year, so she obviously likes the attention she got on here. Stay safe, internet buddies!

theholmanherd

BlueFairy5 said:

Jeez, that's upsetting.  Thanks for the heads up.  I also don't post photos on FB (or elsewhere), and got really annoyed that I had to untag myself in a bunch of pics a friend tagged of me last weekend. 

Side note:  Why/how does your posting this violate TOU??

I think it's only a violation if I actually post the thread. I just pointed it out. If I get a warning, it would be my first and totally worth it. People should have a head's up about this.

BunnyBerry

Why would you get a warning? What did you do against the rules? I guess I just assume that if I behave like I would in normal life I won't get in trouble here!

BTW I had to search a related thread where someone posted the link to get to it. Stuff starts to get real on the bottom of page 2...and the climax occurs on page 11 (if you're on a computer). Totally worth the last hour of my evening.

These kinds of people, the more elaborate their ruse, the bigger risks they can take in fooling others, and the longer they can keep it up, the more they get out of it. I hope she can find something healthy and less hurtful to others to replace the high she was getting from messing with an online community.

theholmanherd

Apparently it's troll weekend, too. Shit is going down all over the place.

theholmanherd

hrushka said:

And there goes my Saturday night ... 

But seriously, that shit is creeptastic. This is the first time I've really participated in an online forum and I've always kinda wondered how many posters aren't exactly who they say they are. But after getting to know you ladies and sharing stuff about myself, I'd be pretty disturbed to find out someone on our board is a faker. 

I would be livid. I studied criminal justice in college (emphasis in law; I intended to go to law school, but changed my mind after graduation), so this is morbidly fascinating to me. OTOH, I would track down a motherfucker that fucked with our board. I have friends in high (law enforcement and IT) places and I'm not afraid to pursue it if I suspect it.

wifeofafarmer

I read every page of that thread. I know there are people like that but I don't understand why. I barely have the mental energy to remember/keep up with what's actually going on IRL. I couldn't imagine keeping up a web of lies like that. If you are THAT bored in your life - do something to change it or go volunteer somewhere. Geez. Some people

theholmanherd

lemonliz said:

@hrushka, when I joined TB I lurked hard over here and on TTGP.  There was a BIG to-do that went down on TTGP where someone banned came back as an AE.  They came back as a different screen name and made up a new fake background story about TTC but got busted by people who started to recognize some of the behaviors that got the original banned in the first place.  (if I get some booze into me, I might be able to find the thread just for shits and giggles).  Anyhow, it made me wary for a while because it's all so entirely possible.  But eventually I learned that this board tends not attract the same fan fare as some of the others.  And IF even less so.  I mean, there's only so much fake backstory you can make up for a 3T and IF board if you don't actually know what you're talking about!  

I was justing starting out on the boards when this went down. I recently reread a bunch of the drama surrounding the situation and her past posts LOL

BandM14

So I'm assuming these troll people were lurking to see that the mods were leaving and decided to stir shit up? And go taunting a board full of women struggling with infertility?? I'm a therapist and have seen/heard some pretty off-the-wall stuff, but this is some really, scary, bat shit crazy behavior. The internet is amazing in so many ways, but it also really allows some people to reach a whole new level of deranged.

giveusfree

A catfish on The Bump?? What is the world coming to?

theholmanherd

giveusfree said:

A catfish on The Bump?? What is the world coming to?

LOL if you weren't an AE (and were a newb), I would launch into my internet 101 spiel. 

martinisandmedicine

Ugh. Disgusting and terrifying. 

I don't care if this is against the rules, thanks for posting the PSA.

wanderlust508

I'm on vacation in Virginia right now (heading to the Bahamas tomorrow, flying out of DC). Came on here to lurk for a couple minutes. And totally got sucked into reading through that post. I'm in shock. I'd be so sad if one of our regulars was revealed to be a catfish.

I can't help but feel sad for the catfish. She must be very disturbed/depressed/dissatisfied with her life to invent this whole other online persona. Seems like it was an escape for him/her. Or she's simply just a sick person who enjoys having a whole online community of people swallow her BS. Either way, sad.

wanderlust508

Also, what does AE stand for?

Chasity08

I spent more time than I would like to admit reading through that thread last night. That is just craziness. But that first post where she was actually called out....I couldn't stop laughing. Everything seemed to spot on, without even knowing that girl on the board. Oh TB....