Website Sells ‘Fake Girlfriends’ To People Who Want To Be Manti Te’o

A new website is offering “fake girlfriends” to people wanting to be “catfished” on purpose. The price of an appearances-only girlfriend on social media? About $750.

It’s not exactly a Fiverr deal, but the website Fake Internet Girlfriend offers a full-service online significant other to anyone who just wants the comfort of seeing heartfelt messages on Facebook, hearing sappy voicemails, and receiving cute “i luv u” text messages throughout the day.

It works like this: You sign up for a three-month commitment (referred to as “renting”) for $250 each month. The site then creates a catfishy Facebook profile of a fake woman, and then use it to leave notes on the renter’s Facebook page. Fake Internet Girlfriend will also leave personal voicemail messages at the renter’s work and send texts.

For a few dollars more, users can rent customized packages, including “Gamer Girl” which gets the renter’s fake girlfriend into online gaming communities and has whoever the Fake Girlfriend is play games like “World of Warcraft” with the renter.

Why would anyone buy this? MSN has several theories. First, it’s an easy (albeit expensive) way to make an immediate ex-girlfriend immediately jealous. Second, it keeps your family and friends from asking whether you’re looking for that special someone for a little while.

The site also argues that “it would cost you way more than $250 a month if you had a real girlfriend,” so paying for a fake girlfriend without the “drama” of a relationship is the way to go. Of course, Fake Internet Girlfriend offers to add drama “if that’s what makes you happy.”

Still, I have to wonder if there’s a self-esteem and personal satisfaction motive to Fake Internet Girlfriend customers. Clearly, anyone who simply wants to shut their family up or make an ex-girlfriend jealous can just make their own catfish girlfriend account to interact with. Sure, it would take some time to get friends and make the profile look “real,” but you could do it for free.

It’s kind of like prostitution then, for individuals who want the comfort of a warm (online) body. I can’t help but think that Fake Internet Girlfriend customers need a few “i luv u” texts throughout the day to make them feel good about themselves, even if it is fake and they’re paying for it.

Oh, and Fake Internet Girlfriend, as the title suggests, is only for lonely guys. The site does not set up fake boyfriends for girls.

What do you think of Fake Internet Girlfriend? Would you pay $750 for your own personal catfish?