Catfishing in itself is not illegal. The act of using anothers picture and talking to people online is not against the law, but it is often a step towards illegal activities.
Whether its an email account or a social media profile, Duque says its not illegal to impersonate someone online although it could result in a civil lawsuit. However, if that online account is used to make threats to others, its possible criminal charges could be filed against the impersonator.
The Criminal Code identifies impersonation of another as identity fraud and identity theft as criminal offences. It is also a criminal offence to traffic in identity information. This means it is illegal to transmit, make available, distribute, sell or offer to sell another persons identity information.