Kittenfishing sees people tell subtle lies about themselves when using dating sites and apps to make themselves seem more attractive. Photo / 123rf
Kittenfishing sees people tell subtle lies about themselves when using dating sites and apps to make themselves seem more attractive. Photo / 123rf
Some of us have had the misfortune to experience ghosting, while others have fallen victim to "breadcrumbing", or being led on without any hope of a date.
Now online daters have yet another tactic to beware of - "kittenfishing" - and it might be the most tricky of all, due to its clever subtlety.
Kittenfishing is the lesser version of "catfishing", where someone steals another person's identity and pictures to lure in potential dates, according to experts from the dating app Hinge.
It involves presenting yourself in an "unrealistically positive light", by employing tactics such as getting a friend to ghost write their profile, posting outdated or heavily filtered photos or adding a few inches to your height.
Kittenfishers are also likely to bend the truth when it comes to their job title or level of education, the Daily Mail reported.
And as well as lying about their height, they're also prone to lying about their weight by shaving off a few pounds in their bio or using older photos.
Pretending to be more cultured than you are or simply outright lying about your hobbies is also a tactic employed by the kittenfisher.
And while it all might sound relatively harmless, it's not likely to go down well with your date when they turn up and discover they've been deceived in some way.
GHOSTING The act where an ex-friend or partner simply disappears from a loved ones life by ending all contact with them without warning or explanation.
SLOW FADE Someone who is unready to accept a budding relationship commits a slow fade by gradually cutting off communication and reducing contact slowly.
BREADCRUMBING Leaving a trail of small but flirtatious messages for a potential date without having any intention of starting a relationship.
SHIPPING This is where people outside the relationship endorse or 'ship' a couple's romance.
CATCH AND RELEASE This refers to someone who enjoys 'the chase' - the part of the relationship which involves attracting a person. Once they 'catch' them they immediately 'release' because the chase is over.
BENCHING Someone might be on the fence about a potential suitor, so instead of getting rid of them, they'll keep their options open and literally put them on the 'bench' - where there might be several others waiting.
CATFISH People who create fake identities online - usually to begin a relationship under false pretences.
CUSHIONING Someone with a new partner keeping several dating options on the backburner - just in case their main relationship goes wrong.
Your date is unlikely to be impressed when the discover that you've lied about things such as height, age and hobbies. Photo / 123rf
A fib about height or weight is instantly identifiable, but lies about hobbies or work might take longer to uncover.
And your date is not likely to be impressed when they discover they're been wasting time with someone they don't have much in common with after all.
According to research by Hinge, 38 per cent of men have been kittenfished, while 24 per cent of women have fallen victim to the tactic.
Kittenfishing follows on from the term 'ghosting' which found its way into our vocabulary in 2015.
Ghosting is the act where an ex-friend or partner simply disappears from a loved ones life by ending all contact with them without warning or explanation.
Earlier this year the term breadcrumbing arose among those looking for love.
It refers to a person leaving a trail of small but flirtatious messages for a potential date, with no intention of ever meeting them.
