'I used a random photo to catfish 300 men - here's why I'd do it again'

A serial catfisher who used another man's topless picture to dupe 300 people online says he only did it to secure a date – and would definitely do it again.

Adam*, whose name has been changed to protect his identity, sat down with nine.com.au to pull back the curtain on the digital double-cross.

While catfishing might feel like a relic of a decade ago, Adam is proof that the trend of deceiving others online is not only alive but is rampant across the 2026 dating scene.

Adam claims the motivation behind his own bad habit was not to deceive or scam people, but rather to get his "foot in the door" when it comes to dating.

"I felt I wasn't attractive, and I don't fit the stereotype of what gay guys want, which is ripped and muscly," he said.

Adam confessed he started catfishing men on Hinge because he "wasn't getting any matches with his own photos".

"I followed this guy on Instagram who was every gay guy's dream. I thought, 'I'll just take his pictures' ... within the space of two hours, there were 100 people wanting to match," he revealed.

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"I'd never experienced that amount of good-looking guys wanting to match with me with my real face."

After three days, Hinge removed Adam's account and said he needed to provide proof of his identity with a video of his face before he was allowed back in.

Adam decided to move across to Tinder, quickly gaining over 300 matches on his account with the same fake pictures.

He says he used the fake profile to get the initial like on his account, changing the pictures back to himself before matching with anyone.

"I changed my pictures over to my face, and matched with the people I wanted to," he explained.

"Then, I sent 100 people messages [using my own face]. Maybe two replied. It validates why I did it in the first place, I didn't feel good enough."

"It's like a resume; I know I can sell myself when I have a job interview, but getting past that first round is really hard. I feel the same with dating apps."

The thing is, in that aspect, he isn't wrong.

Research from a 2021 Michigan State University study shows dating apps are making people more superficial, with someone making a decision to swipe right (indicating 'yes') in less than a second based on nothing more than looks.

Although catfishing itself isn't illegal in Australia, it can lead to legal consequences if it involves fraud, harassment, or identity theft.

While Adam's theory that dating is becoming more superficial is correct, purposely deceiving someone is most definitely wrong can have devastating consequences for someone trying to navigate the dating world.

Nine.com.au spoke to one Sydneysider, Jane* (who also wished to stay anonymous), who has been catfished more than five times on Tinder.

Jane, who is recently single and in her 40s, only used the dating app for the first time last year.

She has been catfished more than five times since, adding that she thinks her age may have played a part in these accounts targeting her.

The profiles catfishing Jane often used pictures of reality TV stars or influencers to get matches.

"I might have been a little naïve to the situation," she said.

She went on to explain that in one situation, she was unknowingly talking to a catfish for three weeks.

"He said he was from America, but was in Sydney for a teaching job," she said.

"We eventually moved to WhatsApp to keep talking; he was sending me selfies and stuff (over the course of three weeks)."

She discovered the account was fake after noticing something was wrong.

"He said he was hanging out at a mate's house. I said, 'Isn't it in the middle of the night where you are?'

"He said, 'Yeah, we're just hanging out on the porch,' then he sent this selfie, but it was daylight in the selfie. I thought, 'This is a bit weird'."

Since Jane had been catfished before, she had gotten into the habit of reverse image searching profile pictures.

A reverse image search is search engine technology that allows users to find information about an image by uploading it or providing its URL – meaning you're often able to find the original source of the photo and catch out a catfish.

"I don't know why I didn't do that from the start. I was wrapped up in conversation," she added.

"After he sent me the selfie, I reverse image searched this guy, and it came up with a guy who had been on American Survivor."

She called out the catfish, and he instantly blocked her.

Jane added that being catfished so many times started to impact her, making her second-guess herself and question why she was being targeted.

She was also catfished on Tinder, adding that now she is cautious of accounts that aren't verified.

Nine.com.au reached out to Tinder, who assured us they take "the safety and security of users seriously," with an optional profile verification available.

"Tinder are actively evaluating and refining our processes to combat catfishing," a spokesperson said in a statement.

"Users who are discovered to be catfishing are removed from our platform immediately.

"Tinder has rolled out over 20 safety innovations, more than any other dating app, to improve safety and experience for users."

One of these features is an optional verification check, where users can submit a photo of their license and a picture of themselves to receive a blue tick on their platform.

Nine.com.au tested out the app's verification check.

One of our journalists made a profile and uploaded pictures of herself. While she was not prompted to verify the profile, the option is listed in her account.

Once she was verified, we deleted her profile pictures and uploaded photos of Taylor Swift to see if it would keep her page verified.

Tinder automatically cancelled her verification, prompting her to do it again.

Meanwhile, Hinge declined to comment but sent through the app's safety protocols.

The app has a Trust and Safety team, where users are encouraged to report suspicious behaviour.

They also added that they offer a dedicated process to handling reports of fraud, including potential impersonation or misrepresentation.

While dating apps continue to bolster their verification tech, the arms race between the "verified" and the "anonymous" shows no sign of slowing down.

As long as the split-second swipe remains the gatekeeper to romance, there will always be an Adam ready to steal a face, and a Jane left to deal with the devastating fallout.

The golden rule for 2026 – if their profile looks like a dream and they won't jump on a video call, trust your gut and hit reverse image search before you hit send.

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