By London Thompson, contributor & Tishawna Williams, online editor

Before the show catfish aired on MTV, there wasn’t really a name for being tricked into falling in love with a stranger online. The show was an instant hit because it examined the relationships of people who found themselves under these unique circumstances.

At first it was introduced in a way that seemed almost relatable to problems that anybody could face. Even though all the featured couples aimed to find out if their lover was real, they all presented different issues. Some couples communicated via text message for several years without ever hearing the sound of the other person’s voice. While others claimed they couldn’t even Skype or FaceTime due to a variety of “technical issue.”

No matter how difficult or confusing the relationship, it seemed as though Nev and Max could offer a form of closure to the person struggling to discover if their love is authentic. Like most mainstream television series, the show quickly took a turn for the worst.

The Reality of Catfish went from being realistic and emotional to unbelievable and outrageous, which made the show appear to be dramatized. For example, a woman named Keyonnah thought she was in a four-month relationship with the celebrity, Bow Wow. She was convinced that her relationship was real, especially when he sent her $10,000 to help with her financial issues. After some digging, Nev and Max found out that Keyonnah had really been talking to a woman named Dee, who wanted to be a rapper and used her fake profile to meet and potentially date straight women. That particular episode aired during season two.

Catfish has had a total of six seasons. Many people have speculated that the show has become fictional. Due to technology, such as Face Time and Skype, it is hard to believe there are still people being catfished. According to the show, most of the people who get catfished are typically experiencing rough times and feeling lonely. Thus, this allows the catfish to prey on the victim’s emotions.

The catfish victim is reeled in by how interesting the other person’s profile appears to be or how attractive they are with no consideration for how the picture or the profile could be inauthentic. The lies the catfish tell the victims usually do not add up, but if the victim falls in love that does not matter. In addition, many Catfish have insecurities and are not comfortable in their own skin. The Catfish thinks they can only appeal to people if they steal someone’s pictures. Fans of the show may see this as sociopathic.

Nev and Max give various examples on how to catch a Catfish. The image search on Google is one of the main tools that can reveal a picture theft. Also, searching phone numbers on Google can shed light on where the person is actually located.

Viewers of the show are warned to be cautious when meeting someone from online in-person. Avoid meeting up with that person if there is any doubt about their authenticity or legitimacy. You need to be 110% sure that they are being truthful before making plans to meet with them.