I was up at 3AM reading this long ass thread on Twitter about how a trans-woman from Cebu named Jzan got catfished by some person from Manila named Sam Morales. Apparently this Sam Morales character is a filmmaker and model that’s worked with some of the big fashion brands. She’s pretty messed up.
First, some context: what does catfish mean? According to Urban Dictionary, it is “A fake or stolen online identity created or used for the purposes of beginning a deceptive relationship.”
You can read the entire story on this Twitter thread (Note: it’s a very long thread that could eat a lot of your time):
I got catfished: a (really long) thread pic.twitter.com/5BQ2G5kcif
— Tzan Jero (@JzanVern) March 30, 2020
The TL:DR version is this: Sam Morales dupes Jzan into starting an LDR romance through a dating app under the guise of a guy named Bill or Bilko. Jzan falls for the “guy”, and after multiple falling outs and getting-back-togethers, they finally met in Manila where the guy admits to the scam.
Apparently, Sam Morales was bullied by homosexuals as a child and, in a… messed up attempt at revenge, target members of the LGBTQ+ community on dating apps, matching with them, making them fall for her (or her fake persona), manipulating her victims’ feelings and emotions, then ghost them or break their heart, or something to the same effect.
This story was incredible, like something out of an indie movie or something, and very, very heartbreaking. It trended on Twitter Philippines even until early today, March 31st, as a lot of people are, justifiably, enraged at Sam Morales for what she has done. Several of her alleged victims came out and shared stories of their own after the original story surfaced.
My quick thoughts on this:
- It is unfortunate that Sam Morales was bullied as a child (assuming this is true, as some have pointed out this was another lie). Nobody should ever have to go through being bullied by anyone.
- Having said that, one’s own trauma is not an excuse to inflict trauma onto others. There are plenty of people with messed up childhoods who have risen above their horrible experiences and became a beacon of hope for others.
- I’m not 100% sure, but I’m certain everything Sam Morales is doing in her revenge tour is a criminal offense. Last I checked, people who’ve committed fraud have been put to jail.
- People saying it’s on Jzan for believing everything Sam Morales’ faux persona tells her obviously are losers who haven’t experienced landi moments. Bruh, trust me, when that kilig starts taking control of you, it’s difficult to think rationally.
- Based on the number of other victims that have came out in the aftermath of this thread, it can be assumed that Sam Morales is a master manipulator, which makes rational thinking all the more difficult. It’s easy to say “use your brain, not your heart” when hormones aren’t raging inside you.
I hope this… unfortunate incident… serves as a cautionary tale to anyone engaging in online relationships — not just romantic ones, but all kinds. Trust but verify. Don’t think you’re being paranoid or “OA” when taking extra steps at knowing the legitimacy of your online pal. You just can’t trust people these days.
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