Catfishing is described as

• A. Creating an intentionally deceptive social media profile in an attempt to get money by using deceit or trickery.
• B. Doxing and harassment.
• C. Hacking into accounts using credential stuffing.
• D. Posting spam advertisements on forums.

Answer: (A)

Catfishing means creating an intentionally deceptive online persona to lure someone, often on social media or dating apps, with the aim of tricking them into giving money or valuables or into a continued interaction under false pretenses. The core idea is identity deception—pretending to be someone you’re not to manipulate another person. This is distinct from other online abuses: doxxing and harassment involve exposing someone’s private information to intimidate them; hacking into accounts is breaking into someone’s accounts through technical means; and posting spam is flooding spaces with unwanted ads. So the essence of catfishing is a fake identity used to deceive for personal or financial gain.