How and why? Those are two of the biggest questions both the media and fans are asking after Notre Dame star and former Heisman Trophy finalist Manti Te’o may have been exposed as a big lie. How could the football star strike up a relationship on line for three years and consider her his girlfriend without ever meeting? Those who understand the power of the internet say they understand how it could have happened.
Nev Schulman is one of those people. He himself was duped, and told his story on the MTV show, Catfish. Schulman struck up a relationship with someone on Facebook who turned out to be a fraud.
In response to a question about Te’o, he told the Washington Post “I think he got duped.”
Schulman’s co-host on Catfish explained further. “You’re talking to someone in privacy,” said Max Joseph. “They become this kind of isolated person for you to trust — it becomes easy to talk to them, and they’re always there.”