Since MTV launched the now popular reality television show “Catfish,” offenders who perpetrate an alternate identity have become more mainstream than ever before.
The latest fraud in the catfish craze is Chris Fields — if that’s his real name.
Here’s how Fields’ catfishing scheme was discovered: A woman contacted Robert Littal, publisher of Blacks Sports Online, about a Chris Fields who secured an NBA contract with the Los Angeles Clippers. Not to be confused with real NBA point guard Chris Paul, Littal conducted a search on Fields, whose social media networks are loaded with expensive cars, candid photos with NBA players, and club photos. Fields would post pictures of extra tickets he’d provide to women, only to back out at the last minute. He’d delete the posts after being called out about his fraudulent activities. Fields even went as far as to post an email confirmation from a club about a New Year’s Eve table reservation, with a hefty $10,000 price tag. The email was covered with typos, including a misspelling of the club’s name.
Upon further investigation, it was discovered that the man known as “Chris Fields” is a Nigerian credit card scam artist. His social network accounts have all been changed to private. And no photos of him playing for the NBA were never found.