Social Catfish Review (2026): Is It Legit? Pricing, Cancellation & Free Alternatives

What is Social Catfish?

Social Catfish is an identity verification service built specifically to unmask online scammers and "catfish" (people pretending to be someone else). While general background check sites like TruthFinder focus on criminal records, Social Catfish specializes in digital footprints.

It scans dating sites, social networks (Facebook, Instagram, TikTok), and public databases to verify if the person you are talking to is real. Its standout feature is its proprietary image search, which often finds stolen photos that Google Reverse Image Search misses.

Is Social Catfish Legit or a Scam?

This is the #1 question users ask on Reddit.

Verdict: It is a legitimate business (A+ BBB rating) with powerful tools, but its billing practices confuse many users.

• The "Scam" Complaint: Users often sign up for a low-cost trial (e.g., $5.73) and forget to cancel, leading to an automatic charge of ~$27/month. This is a standard subscription model, not a scam, but you must be vigilant about cancelling.

• Does it Work? Yes. For catching romance scammers using stolen photos of models or soldiers, it is highly effective.

Social Catfish Pricing (2026)

Social Catfish is not free for deep reports. It uses a tiered subscription model.

Plan	Estimated Cost	What You Get
Social Search	$5.73 (3-day trial) -> $27.48/mo	Unlimited name, email, phone, and username searches.
Image Search	$6.87 (3-day trial) -> $28.97/mo	Unlimited reverse image searches (Best for dating apps).
Search Specialist	~$397 (One-time)	A human investigator performs a deep-dive manual audit for you.

Key Features

• Reverse Image Search: Upload a photo from Tinder or Hinge to see if it belongs to a celebrity, influencer, or stock photo site.

• Username Search: Enter a handle (e.g., @coolguy123) to find all other social media accounts linked to that name.

• Phone & Email Lookup: Reveals the registered owner's name and location, often exposing VoIP numbers used by overseas scammers.

Social Catfish vs. PimEyes

• Social Catfish is an all-in-one identity tool (Email + Phone + Photos). It is best for verifying who someone is.

• PimEyes is strictly a Facial Recognition engine. It is more powerful at finding faces, but it won't give you a name or phone number.

• Winner: Use Social Catfish for dating safety. Use PimEyes for finding your own face online.

Frequently Asked Questions

1. Is Social Catfish free?

No. You can perform a basic search for free to see if records exist, but to view the actual report (names, photos, profiles), you must pay.

2. How do I cancel Social Catfish?

This is critical. To avoid the monthly charge:

1. Log in and go to My Account > Plan Details.

2. Click Cancel Subscription and follow the prompts until you get a confirmation email.

3. If you have trouble, contact their support immediately before your trial ends.

3. Can the other person see I searched them?

No. Searches are 100% anonymous. The person you are investigating will never be notified.

4. Is there a free alternative?

For Reverse Image Search, you can try:

• Google Images / Google Lens (Free, good for products/places).

• Yandex Images (Free, surprisingly good at finding faces).

• TinEye (Free, good for exact match stolen photos).

For Phone/Email, true free alternatives are rare, but sites like TruePeopleSearch offer basic data.

5. Does it work for international numbers?

Yes, but coverage is best in the US, UK, Canada, and Australia. It can identify the country of origin for international numbers, which is often enough to spot a scammer (e.g., a "US soldier" texting from Nigeria).