Available via license: CC BY-SA 4.0
Content may be subject to copyright.
Jurnal Ilmiah LISKI (Lingkar Studi Komunikasi) Vol. 9 No. 1, February 2023
e-ISSN: 2442-4005| http://journals.telkomuniversity.ac.id/liski
45
Jurnal Ilmiah LISKI
(Lingkar Studi Komunikasi)
https://journals.telkomuniversity.ac.id/liski
Catfishing Phenomenon in the Perspective of Online Dating
Services Users
Uyung Pramudiarjaa,*, Dian Artikab, Dhea Hanna Prabawatic
a, b, cMagister Ilmu Komunikasi Universitas Pelita Harapan, Kota Tangerang, Indonesia
01689210004@student.uph.edu, 01689210013@student.uph.edu, 01689210002@student.uph.edu
Submitted at 28 September 2022,
Revised at 31 October 2022,
Accepted at 23 February 2023
Abstrak. Kehadiran online dating pada era digital saat ini membuat penggunanya dapat dengan
mudah menemukan calon pasangan yang diidamkan. Persoalan muncul ketika tidak semua layanan
online dating mewajibkan pengguna untuk memverifikasi identitas. Beberapa pengguna dengan
mudah memalsukan identitas untuk memberikan kesan lebih menarik, atau dikenal sebagai perilaku
catfishing. Di satu sisi, mengkonstruksi identitas untuk tujuan tertentu lazim dilakukan di layanan
online dating. Namun di sisi lain, bisa memicu dampak psikis bagi calon pasangan yang
ekspektasinya tidak terpenuhi, dan bahkan bisa membuka celah tindak kejahatan. Penelitian ini
ingin melihat persepsi pengguna layanan online dating terhadap fenomena catfishing.
Menggunakan metode fenomenologi, penelitian kualitatif deskriptif ini dilakukan dengan
wawancara mendalam terhadap empat informan pengguna layanan online dating yang memiliki
intensitas penggunaan serta tingkat pengalaman yang beragam. Hasilnya, para informan
memandang wajar kecenderungan untuk mengonstruksi kesan menarik di layanan online dating.
Namun ketidaksesuaian identitas di layanan online dating pada titik tertentu merupakan bentuk
ketidakjujuran yang tidak bisa diterima. Para informan juga memiliki langkah antisipasi masing-
masing untuk menghindari jerat catfishing, mulai dari mengajak video call hingga melakukan
profiling sendiri di media sosial.
Kata kunci: Catfishing, Identitas, Media Baru, Online Dating
Abstract. The presence of online dating in the current digital era makes it easy for users to find their
desired potential partner. The problem arises when not all online dating services require users to
verify identity. Some users easily fake their identities to make them appear more attractive, known as
catfishing behaviour. On the one hand, constructing an identity for a specific purpose is common in
online dating services. But on the other hand, it can trigger a psychological impact for potential
partners whose expectations are not met, and can even open a loophole for crime. This study wants
to see the perception of online dating service users towards the catfishing phenomenon. Using the
phenomenological method, this descriptive qualitative research was conducted with in-depth
interviews with four informants who use online dating services with varying intensity of use and level
of experience. As a result, the informants perceive a natural tendency to construct attractive
impressions in online dating services. However, identity discrepancies in online dating services are
at some point an unacceptable form of dishonesty. The informants also have their own anticipatory
steps to avoid the snares of catfishing, from inviting video calls to doing their own profiling on social
media.
Keywords: Catfish, Identity, New Media, Online Dating
*Correspondence Author : Uyung Pramudiarja
Institution and Institution Address : Magister Ilmu Komunikasi Universitas Pelita Harapan, Kota
Tangerang, Indonesia
Correspondence Author Phone Number : 08111099922
Jurnal Ilmiah LISKI (Lingkar Studi Komunikasi) Vol.9 No. 1, February 2023
e-ISSN: 2442-4005| http://journals.telkomuniversity.ac.id/liski
46
INTRODUCTION
The intensity of online dating services usage has increased significantly
during the COVID-19 pandemic. The CEO of Tinder, Elie Seidman, stated that
there was an average increase in the volume of conversations on the platform by 20
percent worldwide, meanwhile the duration of the conversations increased by 25
percent. In Indonesia, the conversation volume increased by 23 percent with the
average of conversation duration increasing by 19 percent (Lawi, 2020). There are
numerous reasons why online dating service users tend to be more active during
this period, including boredom that arises due to various restrictions on mobility
and interaction during the pandemic (Salsabila & Widiasavitri, 2021).
As what happened in other online social networks, the classical problem
that often arises on online dating services is the use of fake identities or popularly
known as catfishing Wani (2017). estimates that 1 out of 10 identities on online
dating services is fake. For comparison, Scamwatch data in 2012 noted that 83
million Facebook accounts were fake, and 1 out of 10 Twitter accounts were fake
(Adam, 2017). Some of them are innocent, but others have dishonest intentions and
can lead to fraud. In online dating the purpose of faking identity is especially for
attracting more people to have matched. When someone is already interested, the
identity forger can take advantage by asking for personal information. Furthermore,
the unwanted things that might happen include swindle or playing with emotions
(Wani et al., 2017).
The impact of fake identity usage on online dating services can be very
diverse and not always as financial losses. Some victims also experienced
exploitation and indicated mental health disorders, ranging from anxiety, stress,
and depression. The sophistication of technology that continues to advance allows
the extent of catfish to be broader, meanwhile, the cases are often not reported by
victims for various reasons including shame and fear of being discussed on social
media (Sonhaji & Supriyono, 2022). A survey of 512 Tinder users in 2017 revealed
that 21.53 percent of respondents had a negative experience when using the service.
Some of them are meeting someone who is categorized as a 'freak' as many as 38.55
percent, being teased unpleasantly as many as 23.29 percent, experiencing
misinterpretation as many as 9.37 percent, meeting someone known in real life as
many as 15.85 percent, and sexually harassed as many as 12.52 percent (Fandia,
2017). It is not without reason that online dating is still in demand even though it
has several security-related risks. This service allows people who did not know
each other before to meet and introduce themselves on the internet, to build
personal, romantic, and even sexual relationships. The process is relatively easy,
just register and create a profile that contains some information such as age, gender,
location, etc. Online dating plays an important role in nowadays matchmaking, so
there are numerous variants with different characteristics (Wani et al., 2017).
However, everyone has not the same goal when joining an online dating
service. Some only searching for fun and making friends, but some are looking for
a more serious relationship. A survey of 512 Tinder users in Indonesia in 2017
revealed that 36.99 percent of respondents used the service out of curiosity, and
74.14 percent wanted to make friends from the platform. As many as 50.29 percent
of respondents continued to chat with their matches or partners through more
personal platforms, including WhatsApp with 58.90 percent, LINE with 58.51
Jurnal Ilmiah LISKI (Lingkar Studi Komunikasi) Vol. 9 No. 1, February 2023
e-ISSN: 2442-4005| http://journals.telkomuniversity.ac.id/liski
47
percent, and BBM (Blackberry Messenger) with 49.90 percent. As a follow-up to
match on Tinder, as many as 32.8 percent of respondents admitted to physically
meet with their matches they found online. Meanwhile, only 19.37 percent of
respondents continued their relationship to a more serious level (Fandia, 2017).
Among the various online dating services that are popular in Indonesia,
Tinder is one of the most popular. Out Of 1,613 respondents in the Rakuten Insight
report in October 2020, 57.59 percent were Tinder users. Tantan is next in line,
followed by OK Cupid. The Dailysocial.id survey in 2017 also placed Tinder as the
most online dating platform used by respondents in Indonesia at 22.47 percent,
followed by OK Cupid at 10.11 percent, and Setipe at 9.91 percent (Dailysocial.ID,
2017). The practice of online dating that has been assimilated in the culture of
digital society worsen the catfish dilemma as a form of identity fraud that arises
due to the absence of regulation and education. Internet-mediated meetings allow
users of online dating services to present themselves by showing ideal
characteristics that are considered good, although inaccurate, the goal is only to get
a partner. Regulations made by the government through Information and Electronic
Transaction Law (UU-ITE) are not sufficient to bind or prevent the practice of
catfishing in online dating services (Dewi & Irwansyah, 2021).
The term of catfish has various definitions, one of which refers to someone
who uses an online dating site to commit fraud. The goal is financial gain by
establishing relationships first with people on the site (Wani et al., 2017). Another
definition states catfish as a term to describe identity fraud by someone who has
never been known or met before, usually occurring in cyberspace and through
social media (Adam, 2017). The motive behind catfish can also vary, not always
for financial gain. Some Tinder users use profile photos with better looks just to
make it easier to find the match they want (Nurdin, 2021). The catfishing
phenomenon is possible because everyone on the internet is free to be anyone, free
to construct identity in any ways for certain purposes (Dewi & Irwansyah, 2021).
There are several relevant theories to explain identity management in online
dating, including the Communication Privacy Management (CPM) theory initiated
by Sandra Petronio, and the Social Information Processing (SIP) theory developed
by Joseph Walther. In social penetration theory, Altman and Taylor discuss self-
disclosure and picturing someone as an onion skin with a layered personality
structure. Petronio in Communication Privacy Management more specific talks
about the disclosure of private information. This theory has three main parts,
namely: (1) Ownership of privacy, including privacy boundaries that others remain
unknown; (2) Privacy controls, including decisions to share personal information
with others; (3) Privacy turbulence, when the management of personal information
does not work as expected. According to this theory, a person believes that they
hold the ownership of personal information and has the right to control it. When
the information is exposed to another person then that person will be involved in
joint ownership with the rules attached (Griffin et al., 2019).
This theory states that individuals who are involved in a relationship are
constantly managing the boundaries between public and private. The need to share
information and the need to protect oneself is constantly present in every
relationship and requires one to always negotiate and coordinate each other's
boundaries. Everyone has an instinct about information ownership about
themselves and always feels they have the right to control the situation. A person
Jurnal Ilmiah LISKI (Lingkar Studi Komunikasi) Vol.9 No. 1, February 2023
e-ISSN: 2442-4005| http://journals.telkomuniversity.ac.id/liski
48
is also constantly making decisions about what to disclose, to whom to disclose the
information, and when and how to disclose it. This decision-making process is a
dialectic between the pressure to reveal and cover-up (Littlejohn et al., 2017).
Before Walther introduced the theory of Social Information Processing,
limited non-verbal cues were considered inferring the process of obtaining
information and building impressions. Walther admits that online communication
with limited non-verbal cues resulting in cold and impersonal communication
because of this matter. However, the same thing can happen to face-to-face
communication. Therefore, Walther introduced the theory of Social Information
Processing with two accompanying features: (1) verbal cues can effectively
compensate for the absence of non-verbal cues in online communication when
information exchange occurs; (2) online communication takes longer to result the
same impression and closeness as in face-to-face communication (Griffin et al.,
2019). This theory introduces the concept of hyper personality, which is a
condition where online relationships become more intimate than when they meet
physically. One of the elements of hyper personality is selective self-presentation,
which means people who meet online could make excessive and prolonged positive
impressions. In an online relationship, a person can display the most attractive traits
and achievements, without being burdened by contradicting physical appearances.
People who meet online also find it easier to avoid people who know their dark
sides. This study aims to explain the catfish phenomenon from the perspective of
various types of online dating service users and how anticipatory efforts are made
to avoid the trap of doers and the negative impacts they cause.
RESEARCH METHOD
This study used a phenomenological method with a qualitative descriptive
approach. Data were obtained through observation and in-depth interviews.
Observations were made on several online dating platforms, including user identity
management on each platform. Meanwhile, interviews were conducted with four
informants of online dating services users who represent different levels of
experience and types of platforms. Informant 1 and informant 2 have been using
online dating services for less than a year, each using the Tinder platform and the
web-based online dating platform www.kontakjodohkatolik.com. Informant 3 and
Informant 4 have been using online dating services for more than five years with
experience exploring more than one platform. While active on online dating
services, informants 1, 2, and 3 lived in Indonesia, while informant 4 was moving
between Indonesia and several countries in Europe. This study focuses on the
perception of online dating service users towards catfishing behavior and how to
identify and anticipate its existence.
RESULT
Various perceptions about catfish were obtained based on the interview
results with the four informants, along with the potential impacts and how to
overcome them. How the informants define the authenticity of identity and how
they make anticipatory efforts are explained in the following description. The four
informants were aware of the risks of meeting catfish or someone using a fake
identity when using online dating services. Informant 1 and informant 2 had never
Jurnal Ilmiah LISKI (Lingkar Studi Komunikasi) Vol. 9 No. 1, February 2023
e-ISSN: 2442-4005| http://journals.telkomuniversity.ac.id/liski
49
heard of the catfish term before, but from the beginning, they both considered the
issue of fake identities in online dating services as a risk that needed to be
anticipated. The four informants also agreed that it is normal giving an edited
profile picture to make it look more attractive, as long as the photo used is not
someone else's photo. Informant 2, who has the intention to meet a serious
soulmate, believes that everyone basically wants to show their best in online dating
services. Therefore, editing photos or adding certain filters to make them look more
attractive is still acceptable as long as the face can still be recognized. However,
informant 1 and informant 2 agreed to avoid or not choose online dating users who
do not put their photos or unrecognizable photos, such as pictures of cartoon
characters or landscapes.
At least there is a photo. If there is no photo (not even one), I will
question why he didn't put any photos. Why didn’t he dare to reveal
himself? What's wrong? Is he unconfident? Or why? Meanwhile, I
think I provide the correct data, even though it is not detailed.
(Informant 1, 2022)
Source: Screencapture Tinder application, 2022
Figure 1
The user interface of verified and unverified Tinder profiles. The left image shows verified profile, while the
center and right image show unverified profile.
Regarding the authenticity of the biodata provided on the online dating
service, the four informants have different views. Informant 1 avoids users who
tend to provide minimum biodata or provide 'unreasonable' or too good to be true
biodata. The same opinion was also stated by informant 2. The rest informants
prefer to have a good prejudice regarding the biodata authenticity. However, if in
further interactions is found that there is inappropriate biodata, all four informants
consider it as a form of dishonesty that cannot be tolerated.
If their profiles are complete and make sense, not being weird, I still
believe in myself that it's the correct data. Anyway, I just believe in God
because we have good intentions to look for a life partner. If our
intention is good, I hope God will give me people with good intentions
as well. (Informant 1, 2022)
Jurnal Ilmiah LISKI (Lingkar Studi Komunikasi) Vol.9 No. 1, February 2023
e-ISSN: 2442-4005| http://journals.telkomuniversity.ac.id/liski
50
Informant 3 assessed various possibilities when someone fake their identity
in online dating services. Although it is feasible, the informant 3 considers that
identity fraud is not always accompanied by criminal intentions. Apart from not
being confident, informant 3 believes that the fear of not being accepted can also
be a reason for someone to fake their real identity. This generally happened when
their real identity violates a norm, for example different conditions or sexual
orientation. There is also another possibility, it is from the ego to maintain a
relationship where they believe if their real identity revealed, their match would
leave them. Out of all the possibilities, informant 3 believes that faking one's real
identity can result a psychological impact on the match when the expectations are
not met in the end. Even if there was something they hide in the beginning,
according to informant 3, it is better to reveal it when they have decided to interact
with each other.
Unless they admitted from the beginning. After being matched they
would say like, 'by the way, the ones in the profile I filled it out for fun,
you know, not all of them are right'. That's different case. But if they
physically meet and turned out the person is different, totally different,
well that also includes catfishing. Invisible catfishing breeds.
(Informant 3, 2022)
Source: Screencapture Muzmatch applications, 2017
Figure 2
The old user interface of Muzmatch, now called Muzz, is an online dating service with
Islamic nuances.
Still related to the possibility of catfishing perpetrators falsifying identities
in online dating services, informant 3 also mentioned the existence of ego to
maintain a relationship where they believe if their real identity revealed, their match
would leave them. In the theory of Social Information Processing (SIP), Joseph
Walther uses the term hyper personal to describe relationships that tend to be more
intimate when established online, rather than the face-to-face one. One of the
elements found in this situation is selective self-presentation, it is the tendency to
maintain excessive and perpetual positive impressions as described by informant 3
(Griffin et al., 2019).
Meanwhile, personal experience of using a fake identity at the beginning of
using online dating services in 2015 formed a different view on informant 4.
According to informant 4, there is always an 'element of distrust' when someone
does not use a real identity. As long as there is still something hidden, informant 4
Jurnal Ilmiah LISKI (Lingkar Studi Komunikasi) Vol. 9 No. 1, February 2023
e-ISSN: 2442-4005| http://journals.telkomuniversity.ac.id/liski
51
believes that someone will not find what they hope for. Informant 4 initially also
used a fake identity to maintain its reputation, because at that time online dating
services were still often associated with negative things. When later tried to use a
real identity on other online dating platforms, informant 4 felt a different experience
such as it was easier to feel connected with the match. However, informant 4
thought that not all detailed information about real identity should be disclosed.
Informant 4 chose to keep only 'displaying a little' aka not excessively. Certain
things are better revealed by themselves when they have interacted with each other.
Likewise, informant 1, also sorted out what information needs to be revealed at the
beginning and what information should be kept until they really found a convincing
match.
It's not detailed because the questions are indeed various up to about
work, and income, so those are what I skipped. But for general data
about what is our job, whether we are employees or something, it's
better to share at the beginning. (Informant 2, 2022)
Source: Screencapture Tinder application, 2022
Figure 3
Verified profile view on Bumble
Even though trying to have a good prejudice against the identity of other
people in online dating services, informant 1 still has a verification effort toward
the matches she got. One of them is by inviting the match to a video call before
deciding to go further. One of the matches that informant 1 finally chose as a life
partner, has succeeded in convincing informant 1 by bringing his family with him
during a video call. For informant 1, this indicates that nothing is hidden.
Informant 3 also recommends a similar step, and if someone repeatedly
avoids being invited to a video call, it is necessary to suspect that there is something
wrong with that person. However, before inviting to a video call, informant 3
Jurnal Ilmiah LISKI (Lingkar Studi Komunikasi) Vol.9 No. 1, February 2023
e-ISSN: 2442-4005| http://journals.telkomuniversity.ac.id/liski
52
suggested interacting via chat first. If necessary, the interaction can be continued
first to another platform that does not use a personal contact number such as
Telegram. According to informant 3, it could lower the risk of being stalked if
unexpected things happen in the future.
Another method was done by informant 2 who chose to trace the identity of
someone he met on an online dating service. Equipped with the available pieces of
information, informant 2 traced and compared the identity of the person on various
social media platforms. Informant 2 will only feel assured if the information is
consistent and convincing. While emphasizes on increasing interactions and
conversations to reveal a person's real identity, informant 4 also used the same
method which is profiling on the internet for the matches they met. “We must know
that this person is real (the identity). Sometimes when I was talking, I asked where
they are working, their last name, and then I google it,” said informant 4.
Another effort to reduce the risk of being caught in a catfish trap is to limit
excessive expectations in online dating services. Informant 4 said that excessive
expectations arise in one's mind when the information obtained is relatively limited.
According to Informant 4, this might happen due to the lack of interaction and
maintaining a 'healthy relationship' both in online dating and in the real life.
Meanwhile, informant 3 said that online dating service users should recognize
various types of relationships and identify what type of relationship they want.
Some online dating users may expect a serious relationship, but others are only
looking for friendship or casual relationships. According to Informant 4, being
shocked by encountering many forms of relationships that previously were
unimaginable can make a person vulnerable to being caught in a catfish's trap.
We should know our needs. It gets back to the goal. If you're just looking
for friends, off you go, but if you're looking for a match who must get
married in the next 1-2 years, good luck... because it won't always work
out. (Informant 3, 2022)
A special note was conveyed by informant 3 stating that "online dating is
not for everyone". According to informant 3, in terms of matchmaking, it must be
realized that everyone has their own 'pool'. Some people succeeded to find a soul
mate on online dating services, but it doesn't mean everyone can find one in the
same place. According to informant 3, online dating is only one of many mediums
to meet a partner. If someone feels that they always fail to establish relationships
in online dating services, then they need to evaluate so that they don't rely too much
on one medium.
DISCUSSION
Regarding the authenticity of profile photos, several online dating platforms
such as Tinder and Bumble provide a verification feature and provide a blue tick
sign for verified photos. Tinder introduced the verification feature in 2019 for users
in Japan and started expanding to global users in 2021 (Tinder, 2021). Informant 2
did not know this feature because it was not yet available at the time she is still
actively using it. Informant 2 has no longer been active using Tinder since finding
a life partner in 2014. Meanwhile, the web-based online dating service used by
Informant 1, namely www.kontakjodohkatolik.com does not have this feature.
Jurnal Ilmiah LISKI (Lingkar Studi Komunikasi) Vol. 9 No. 1, February 2023
e-ISSN: 2442-4005| http://journals.telkomuniversity.ac.id/liski
53
However, both informant 1 and informant 2 agreed that the addition of a
verification feature in online dating services is a positive move that will possibly
help minimize the risk of catfishing.
Meanwhile, informant 3 and informant 4 stated that adding the profile photo
verification feature will not completely eradicate the risk of catfishing. Based on
experience, informant 3 still found a Tinder profile with verified photos but the
biodata only includes initials, not a clear name. There are also profiles with verified
photos but still include incorrect information about their biographies, such as height
and even religion. Meanwhile, informant 4 reminded us that catfishing is not solely
a risk in online dating that needs to be beware. In some of the cases the informant
4 observed, abuse or violence by partners from online dating might happen even
though the identity of the photo or biodata listed was actual or even verified.
Informant 3 warned that verified status is possibly providing an opportunity for
fraud because it makes the perpetrators appear more convincing. Rory Kozoll,
Tinder's Head of Trust and Product Safety, when launching the verification feature
for the global market, acknowledged that the identity verification process is
complex. However, he believes that providing a sense of security through the
verification feature can make users more confident about the authenticity of their
matches and can give users more control in determining whom they will interact
with (Tinder, 2021).
The risk of meeting and dealing with catfish in online dating services can
be lowered in several ways. As for Informant 1 and informant 2, they chose an
online dating platform that they believe is safe. Informant 1 chose the platform with
a religious background, namely www.kontakjodohkatolik.com which is believed to
be more exclusive and segmented, and hoped the risk of meeting users with bad
intentions is reduced. Informant 2 chose Tinder as recommended by a friend which
was considered to have a more positive image than other online dating platforms.
Around 2015, online dating was generally associated with an unhealthy society.
As a dating enthusiast who has experience exploring various online dating
platforms, informant 3 identified that platforms with a simple registration process
tend to be more vulnerable to being infiltrated by catfish. One of them is Tinder,
which informant 3 called 'boiled peanuts' because of its popularity, downloaded by
so many people. Other platforms, such as Coffee Meets Bagel, are considered more
segmented so they are relatively safer. Likewise, the OKCupid platform has about
1,000 questions for users to fill out, making it more of a hassle for catfish if only
seek some fun. Some platforms require extra patience, by limiting the
recommended matches in a day, such as www.Setipe.com. Informant 3 considered
that these various characteristics can reduce the tendency of catfishing even though
it cannot be 100 percent safe. Likewise, online dating platforms with religious
nuances, according to informant 3, are still not guaranteed to be free from the risk
of fraud. In one of the cases Informant 3 had encountered, a religious-based online
dating service user met a match who, after being investigated, turned out to be
involved in a baby trafficking crime.
When interacting online, a person's decision to choose which personal information
to share is part of the privacy controls described in the theory of Communication
Privacy Management (CPM). According to this theory, a person has privacy
boundaries that limit the ownership of information between their selves and others.
The boundaries vary from those that are so thin and porous that they can be
penetrated to those that are so thick that they can cover the deep and dark sides of
a person (Griffin et al., 2019).
Jurnal Ilmiah LISKI (Lingkar Studi Komunikasi) Vol.9 No. 1, February 2023
e-ISSN: 2442-4005| http://journals.telkomuniversity.ac.id/liski
54
As explained in Social Information Processing theory, one of the limitations
of online communication is the fewer verbal cues than face-to-face, especially the
text-based platform. Therefore, Welther admitted that online communication can
be cold and impersonal. But face-to-face communication is sometimes the same.
Online communication sometimes just takes more time and effort to result in the
same impression and closeness as direct or face-to-face communication (Griffin et
al., 2019).
Specifically talking about online dating users, Walther in Social
Information Processing theory stated that the selective self-presentation process is
very likely to be involved when someone makes a profile or biodata look more
attractive. Jeff Hancock of Stanford University believes that others viewing the
profile or bio will see it as a promise, and if the online self-presentation is too
different from the actual, the potential matches or partners can experience feelings
like when a promise is broken (Griffin et al., 2019).
CONCLUSIONS
The phenomenon of catfish or identity fraud is generally considered one of
the risks in using various online dating services platforms. Although not always
accompanied by negative intentions, the practice of identity fraud is considered to
be able to make an opportunity for other forms of fraud. In general, using
completely different identities in the form of photos and biodata is considered to be
an unacceptable form of dishonesty. However, sorting out the provided identity and
personal information on the profile or biodata is considered a natural behavior
because everyone tends to show their best to get a partner in online dating services.
Various anticipatory efforts were made to avoid the risk of catfishing practice, such
as conducting self-verification either through video calls or profiling on the
internet. Even though several online dating platforms such as Tinder and Bumble
provide photo verification features, further verification efforts are still required as
it is believed that the real identity of online dating users can be more clearly defined
through further interaction.
This study found that the four informants did not meet the perpetrators of
catfishing which caused material and emotional losses. Apart from having the
match-filtering mechanisms found in online dating services, informants may not
have come across more extreme forms of catfishing so they can always anticipate
them. To obtain a more diverse meaning of the catfishing phenomenon, it is
recommended to collect more informants who represent various socio-cultural
backgrounds in further research.
REFFERENCES
Adam, A. (2017). Catfishing: Tipu Muslihat Gebetan Khayalan. Tirto.Id.
https://tirto.id/catfishing-tipu-muslihat-gebetan-khayalan-ckvT
Dailysocial.ID. (2017). Dating Apps in Indonesia Survey.
Dewi, N. S. P. S., & Irwansyah, I. (2021). Regulasi terhadap Penipuan Identitas: Studi
Fenomena ‘Catfish’ pada Social Networking Sites (SNS). Jurnal Studi Komunikasi
(Indonesian Journal of Communications Studies), 5(1), 267.
https://doi.org/10.25139/jsk.v5i1.2612
Jurnal Ilmiah LISKI (Lingkar Studi Komunikasi) Vol. 9 No. 1, February 2023
e-ISSN: 2442-4005| http://journals.telkomuniversity.ac.id/liski
55
Fandia, M. (2017). Swipe Your Destiny – Survey Report on Indonesian Tinder Users -
JAKPAT. JakpatBlog. https://blog.jakpat.net/swipe-your-destiny-survey-report-on-
indonesian-tinder-users/
Griffin, E., Ledbetter, A., & Sparks, G. (2019). Communication Theory: A First Look at.
Lawi, G. F. K. (2020). #DiRumahAja, Pengguna Aplikasi Kencan Tinder Naik 19 Persen
- Lifestyle Bisnis.com. Bisnis.Com.
https://lifestyle.bisnis.com/read/20200403/54/1222345/dirumahaja-pengguna-
aplikasi-kencan-tinder-naik-19-persen-
Littlejohn, S. W., Foss, K. A., & Oetzel, J. G. (2017). Theories of Human Communication
(11th ed.). Waveland Press Inc.
Nurdin, R. S. (2021). False Identity dalam Media Online Dating (Fenomenologi pada
Pelaku Catfishing Media Online Dating Tinder). Journal of Education, Humaniora
and Social Sciences (JEHSS), 3(3), 1011–1022.
https://doi.org/10.34007/jehss.v3i3.493
Salsabila, F., & Widiasavitri, P. N. (2021). Gambaran self-disclosure pada perempuan
pengguna aplikasi online dating Tinder di tengah Pandemi COVID-19. Jurnal
Psikologi Udayana, 8(2), 48–57. https://doi.org/10.24843/JPU/2021.v08.i02.p07
Sonhaji, E. R., & Supriyono. (2022). Catfishing dalam Cyber Romantic Relationship pada
Remaja. Ideas, 8/Mei 2022(2).
Tinder. (2021). Tinder Will Add ID Verification Option Following the Successful Rollout
of Photo Verification. Tinder Newsroom. https://www.tinderpressroom.com/2021-
08-16-Tinder-Commits-to-ID-Verification-for-Members-Globally,-a-First-in-the-
Dating-Category
Wani, A., Sofi, M. A., & Wani, S. Y. (2017). Why Fake Profiles: A study of Anomalous
users in different categories of Online Social Networks. IJETSR. www.ijetsr.com
