Estimated read time: 4-5 minutes
- Scammers use stolen photos to create fake profiles, targeting lonely individuals online.
- Former scammer Christopher Maxwell revealed tactics used to exploit victims, making $70,000 over five years.
- Social Catfish advises using reverse image searches and other precautions to avoid romance scams.
SALT LAKE CITY — Scammers often prey on lonely individuals seeking love, using photos stolen from real people to establish fake profiles. One way to ferret out a fake profile is to use a reverse image search, which can reveal if the image is being used elsewhere online.
Social Catfish, a company that works in scam prevention, just released a list of the "100 Most Catfished Photos of 2025." These are the images scammers frequently use to create fake profiles on dating apps and social media platforms.
Confessions of a scammer
Former scammer Christopher Maxwell, who spoke with Get Gephardt in January, revealed the tactics criminals use to exploit people online. Maxwell, a man from Nigeria, explained how he would target lonely women, primarily through Facebook, by looking for signs of vulnerability such as photos of women with children but no men. Posing as a U.S. soldier on deployment, he would gain the woman's trust over months before asking for money under false pretenses. Maxwell admitted to making $70,000 from these scams over five years.
It wasn't until he saw the severe emotional toll on one of his victims that Maxwell chose to stop.
"I felt really bad," he said. "I called her, confessed everything, and she forgave me. But I knew I had to change."
Maxwell now speaks out, hoping to raise awareness and prevent others from falling victim.
Utahns devastated by romance scammers
One Utah woman told the KSL Investigators that she lost $187,000 to a scammer who posed as a cryptocurrency investor.
She said she met the individual on a dating app. As a romantic relationship developed, he persuaded her to invest in cryptocurrency.
Initially, her investments appeared profitable and led her to borrow money and open credit cards to invest more.
But eventually, she was told she would need to pay $120,000 in fees to access the $522,000 she supposedly earned in cryptocurrency. The scam was revealed. All those returns had been faked through a fraudulent website.
Another Utah woman became an unwitting money mule after falling victim to a romance scam.
After meeting a man online, she thought she had found love. He convinced her to help fund a restaurant venture in Salt Lake City, instructing her to open accounts, take deposits and wire significant sums of money for the business.
She ended up transferring thousands of dollars, believing it was for an investment. However, she later discovered her online lover was a scam artist, and she was now on the legal hook for her involvement in the money laundering scheme.
Utahn makes the 'most catfished photo' list
West Haven resident Justin Yoder discovered his photos were being stolen and used by scammers to deceive victims. Social Catfish's 2023 analysis of the most catfished photos placed Yoder's profile at number 42 on the list. His real photos were used to create fake profiles, and Yoder now faces a flood of angry messages from women who believe he scammed them.
"I get nasty messages," he said. "My social media gets messages. My friends get messages that I'm a horrible person."
At the time, Yoder said every day he gets calls, emails and social media messages from angry women who believe he is the one who took their money. It has cost him time. It has cost him business. It has also, at times, gotten scary.
"They told me that my son would burn in hell for what I've done," he said. "Multiple times."
One woman from California went so far as to drive to Utah and showed up at his office to confront him. Another time, when Yoder persuaded a woman to stop sending money to a crook, he actually got a menacing call from the scammer himself.
Increasing use of AI in romance scams
Scammers are using increasingly sophisticated methods, including AI-generated "deepfake" videos.
Just recently, one scammer used AI to impersonate actor Brad Pitt, stealing over $800,000 from an unsuspecting victim. This alarming trend underscores the importance of using tools like reverse image searches to verify online identities.
Protecting yourself
To help avoid falling victim to a romance scam, Social Catfish recommends these tips:
- Perform a reverse image search to verify someone's identity. Here's more on how
- Never send money to someone you've only met online.
- Insist on video chats to confirm identity.
- Be cautious of claims involving military service or people living abroad.
- Be wary of individuals who express love or commitment too quickly.
