“Everyone has the need to feel loved and these online predators are very good at what they do,” Evans says. And while you might expect to find catfishers on dating sites, Evans routinely handles cases where victims have been approached on Facebook, Twitter, LinkedIn, Instagram, and other social media sites.
But Evans says that compared with perpetrators of Nigerian prince scams, for example, who often use broken English and implausible premises, this new breed of online predator is far savvier and more dangerous. “They gain their victim’s trust by providing a sympathetic ear and by using overt attention, flattery, and charm.” “Perpetrators like Dan often research their victims in advance so they can quickly engage them by sharing similar interests and viewpoints,” says Evans, who has a background in both law enforcement and cybersecurity.
