Catfishing - Do You Know Who You're Dealing With On The Internet?

Catfishing - Do You Know Who You're Dealing With?  In the old days, a popular meme was the phrase: "On the Internet, Nobody Knows you're a dog". In our current days of social media, some bad actors pretend to be someone or something else in order to create a relationship with another. We call it "catfishing". Famous celebrities have been tricked into online romantic relationships with persons who aren't the sex they really are. In the legal field, a similar activity is used to steal money. A criminal will pose as the owner of real estate to steal escrow money, or trust funds, or otherwise defraud another in a legal transaction. It is important to thoroughly check out any new client or contact we haven't met in person. Even if we deal with another in person, it behooves us to take steps to verify who the person is. I once asked for driver licenses in a real estate closing, and the Seller and his wife advised that: "She left hers in the truck", and left the closing to get it. After I finished the Buyer portion of the closing (loan documents and such), I realized that the Seller wasn't back. It was later disclosed that he had brought another woman to the closing, posing as his wife. Be careful out there. Somebody really is out to get you.