A dangerous trend in dating. Beware of wokefishing!

The term “wokefishing” comes from English and is a combination of two words – woke and fishing. The first part refers to the movement of people opposing broadly understood discrimination, while the second one refers to fishing. In this case, however, it is not about catching fish, but people.

Wokefishing – what is it?

Wokefishing is one type of cyber fraud. It’s a dating strategy based on deception and manipulation. A person who resorts to this type of practice pretends to be someone he is not. He portrays himself as a progressive man with modern views (feminist, anti-racist, etc.). He has one goal – to gain the favor and sympathy of the individual he “hunts”. In short, he creates a false image of himself based on what the “other side” wants to hear. He may be a vegan, an animal lover, an ecologist who fiercely defends the natural environment, etc. It all depends on the values ​​of a potential wokefishing victim.

However, it should be emphasized that the similarity of views is actually a mask. A person using wokefishing puts it on to entrap a partner. When he achieves his intended goal, he shows his true colors. This face is very different from the image created on the Internet. It is often its complete opposite. Suddenly, a vegan becomes a meat-eater, and a feminist would love to lock a woman in the kitchen, constantly control and limit her. A cyber fraudster adapts to his victim like a chameleon, but in reality he is far from being a “virtual ideal”.

How does wokefisher work?

“Wokefishing” emerged relatively recently, but is based on established manipulation practices. First, the cyber fraudster searches for a victim. He browses social media and dating sites. When he finds a person who suits his tastes and preferences, he carefully begins to study their profile. The information obtained becomes a starting point for him to create his “virtual ego”, an image that will attract the chosen entity. It will work like flypaper.

The next step is to establish contact with your potential “other half”. Wokefisher conducts the conversation in such a way as to make the best impression possible. He appears as the soulmate of his victim. He argues that he shares the same views and values. This “game” continues until the cheater achieves his intended goals (usually the fulfillment of sexual needs). Then the spell breaks and the dream prince charming becomes a persecutor and exploiter.

Who are the victims of wokefishing?

Wokefisher victims are most often young women from Generation Z (born after 1995), single women who are looking for a partner online. People with low self-esteem are most vulnerable to cyber fraud attacks, but in fact there is no set of features or skills that would protect a person from manipulation. Everyone is susceptible to this type of practice, although not all to the same extent.

Wokefishing – how to protect yourself against it?

The best weapon against wokefishing is caution. Don’t trust people you meet online too quickly. Ask your interlocutor a lot of questions about their values ​​and views. This way, you will more easily expose a potential fraudster. Do not publish detailed information about yourself online. Also limit the number of photos you share online.