Closed petition Make Catfishing a specific criminal offence

Closed on 1 September 2023

Take seriously the effects and outcomes this can have on innocent lives. People's lives can be ruined by catfishing, where a victim is lured into a relationship by someone using a fake profile. We want catfishing to be made a specific offence, so police and courts are empowered to tackle this.

In the modern world we live in now, catfishing happens to too many people. It's not harmless but actually emotional abuse.

Too many people use fake profiles to pray on and emotionally abuse vulnerable people, take their money, pray on vulnerable people and cause serious distress.

My personal information, including photos of my child, has been used by someone trying to catfish other people, and I have struggled to get any form of justice. It is essential the Government step up.