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I like to think I have my head screwed on right. That I can see when someone is playing a game, not telling the truth. So, when I was ‘catfished’ three times in two months, I realised that it wasn’t something that was wrong with me. I realised that predators had infiltrated app dating.
Maybe they had been there all along but at the frequency that I had experienced them, it was very alarming. I think most people believe it won’t happen to them. I didn’t believe it would happen to me and some people reading this article must think I am an absolute fool for not realising sooner but these people train at their game, they know what to say and how to reel you in.
Here's how you approach dating, according to your horoscope. Post continues below.
I have been app dating since Tinder first became popular, around 2013.
Since then I have explored Tinder, Bumble, Happen, Hinge, Luxe and Toffee. I’ve had countless dates across all the apps, and I’ve had two long-term relationships from Bumble.
I've also had some bad experiences. I've been ghosted several times. And after one pleasant seaside lunch date and a walk on the beach, I was blocked on every form of communication, including the app.
But recently, I decided to get back in the swiping saddle. And that is where the trouble started.
Catfish one.
I was new to the dating app Happn when I swiped on Sebastian. After we matched, I realised he only had one picture where you could see his face.
His second picture was him from behind as he jumped off some rocks into the water and the third was a photo of his feet in sneakers.
His profile said he was 39 and new to Australia.
We started chatting. He was very polite and told me he was a mix of British and French, that he was born in South America and had lived all over the world.
He told me he migrated from South Africa five months ago and he was being sponsored by the government due to his work in the medical field. He was a reconstructive craniofacial surgeon based at the Northern Beaches Emergency Department. He told me he lived in Palm Beach, was a keen surfer, a great cook and he was also in his final year of study to add a mechanical engineering degree to his resume.
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