September Safeguarding Spotlight: Catfishing

This month, our Safeguarding Spotlight focuses on Catfishing — when someone creates a fake online identity to deceive or exploit others. It’s important for everyone in the judo community to stay aware of the risks and know how to avoid the issue.

Catfishing is the act of deceiving another person online with a fake account, identity, photos, and other details about their life. It is most commonly found on social networking sites. A “catfish” refers to the person performing the deception.

Signs of a Catfish

• They refuse to talk on the phone.
• They are always “on the move” and avoid meeting in person.
• Their profile contains many errors or inconsistencies.
• They push the friendship or relationship forward very quickly.

• They ask for money.

Top tips to avoid catfishing:

• Ask questions – Don’t simply rely on the information in someone’s online profile
• Do your research – Use the internet to check for other accounts or details about the person you’re chatting to.
• Get advice – Speak to friends and family and ask their opinion on whether the profile seems genuine.
• Protect your details – Avoid giving out your personal phone number or email until you really know someone.
• Never send money – If someone asks for money online, do not send it.

Remember the 5 SMART Rules for Online Safety

• Safe – Keep personal information private (name, address, phone number, school, etc.).
• Meet – Never meet anyone you have only spoken to online. People may not be who they say they are.
• Accept – Do not open or click on links, files, or messages from people you don’t know or trust.
• Reliable – Not everything you see or read online is true. Check information with trusted sources.
• Tell – If anything online makes you feel upset, worried, or uncomfortable, tell a trusted adult straight away.

Internet safety is something everyone needs to take seriously. Our Head of Safeguarding, Andrew Bowly, can provide presentations to clubs and parents on this issue if required. If you are interested, please contact him at Andrew.bowly@britishjudo.org.uk

Watch out for further news from British Judo by checking out our latest news section. You can also catch up via our official social media platforms, Facebook, Twitter and Instagram.

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