How do I protect myself from dating app scams?

You can protect yourself from dating app scams by being cautious of suspicious profiles, verifying users through reverse image search, checking social media consistency, and being wary of excessive flattery and rushed intimacy.

How can you identify a scammer on a dating app?

Look for red flags in their profile photos, recently created or empty social media accounts, inconsistent or overly flirty messaging, and urgency in building a relationship or asking for money.

What do scammers want from dating apps?

Scammers primarily want money. They target emotionally vulnerable individuals to manipulate and defraud them through fake relationships or sob stories.

What are signs that someone is trying to scam you?

Signs include evasive answers, refusal to video call, fast-moving romantic intentions, requests for money, or inconsistencies in their story and behavior.

Can women be scammers on dating apps too?

Yes, women can also be scammers. Some use dating apps to lure wealthy men, sometimes committing serious crimes such as fraud, theft, or even kidnapping.

What should I do if I suspect someone is scamming me?

If you suspect someone is scamming you, stop all communication, document inconsistencies, report the profile to the app, and consider alerting authorities if personal information or money was exchanged.

Protect Yourself From Dating App Scams

A man holding his phone while swiping through a dating app

Dating app scams are easily avoided if you are aware of their methods.

Online dating—convenient, easy to use, and widely available. But with the good comes the bad.

Some people turn to online dating because they find meeting in person to be challenging. They use online platforms to get to know more about the person they’re chatting with before going on a real date.

Online dating platforms have, for years, contributed to the success of many relationships and marriages. Meeting strangers online might sound scary at first, but if you know what you are doing, you should be fine.

However, not everyone on the app has a positive dating experience.

The convenient nature of online dating attracts scammers who take advantage of other users for their personal gain. And it doesn’t help that many of these dating apps’ security features can only do so much to protect users.

According to the Journal of Economic Criminology from ScienceDirect, at least 60,000 individuals on the internet fall prey to scams via dating apps or websites every year, with older users often the primary targets.

So, how do you protect yourself from dating app scams?

The Mind of a Scammer

The best way to avoid scams is to equip yourself with knowledge. How to know if someone is a scammer is a question you should ask yourself. Learn how they think and what motivates them.

What is the purpose of scamming? Why do they deceive their victims?

Scammers are basically just like any other person. They have needs and bills to pay. They have families to support and lifestyles to maintain. What sets them apart from us is the fact that they turn to scamming for their financial needs.

Scammers manipulate victims emotionally and psychologically. They usually target people who are not technologically savvy and those who are desperate for love, taking advantage of their gullibility and misery.

Money is the ultimate goal for every scammer; they don’t care what means they use to get it.

Identifying a Scammer

Protecting yourself from scams involves knowing how to tell if someone is a scammer.

It’s definitely not easy, that’s for sure. They often hide in plain sight, blending in with the countless users online.

However, there are methods to expose a scammer. Though not foolproof, it’s better to be ready when you are suspicious of someone.

Here are things you can look out for:

Their Dating Profile

The majority of dating apps have a verification process; however, not everyone verifies their profiles. You will need to weed out the real users from the scammers.

So, what are the indicators of a scammer’s profile?

Pictures

Checking their profile pictures is one of the most common ways to identify whether the profile is real or not.

Some scammers use AI-generated images as profile pictures, while others steal other people’s photos. With AI ever-evolving, people who aren’t technologically savvy are likely to be fooled into thinking they’re real.

You can use AI-image-identifying websites to find out if their pictures are AI-generated. If the site detects even a tiny amount of editing, you are likely looking at a scammer’s profile.

You can also reverse search their pictures to see where similar pictures can be found. If the search leads you to another person’s social media, there’s a possibility that the picture you are looking at has been stolen from that person.

Social Media Accounts

Another effective way of identifying a scammer is through their social media. Search for their name and cross-reference the results, if there are multiple. Dates and timestamps are particularly important in this case.

A scammer’s social media account will most likely have been created fairly recently. They will also have no, if not fewer, friends. And posts are likely published on the same day (usually on the creation date).

Their Chatting Behavior

Some scammers have perfected the art of creating fake profiles, but not every one of them can talk properly. They tend to be impatient—they want to secure the bag as quickly as they can. They will start by having casual conversations, saying the usual get-to-know-you topics.

Fraudsters often excessively flatter isolated and insecure targets with affection and compliments to swiftly establish trust. They believe the best way to get on a person’s good side is by making them feel good, flattering them with flirty messages, handing out compliments, and acting like they’re actively listening. They are adept at love bombing.

Break Free From a Scammer’s Trap

When will a scammer leave you alone? When you catch them off guard, of course.

A scammer will do their best to keep you engaged in the conversation, whether it’s about common interests, flirty messages, or sad stories about their lives. They will lure you in and take your money.

When you’re stuck in a conversation with a scammer, don’t panic. Remember that scammers are also human; they can get impatient and inconsistent.

Before calling them out, make sure to list down the inconsistencies you find. Prolong the conversation as long as you can to weed out their inconsistencies.

What happens when a scammer finds out you are on to them? It’s either they become:

Sheepish - their replies become slower, less aggressive, and more hesitant.
In Denial - they become furious, gaslighting you by projecting their misdeeds onto you.
Quiet - they will suddenly stop chatting once they know they messed up. But that doesn’t mean they’re done; they’ll stop chatting with you to find another victim to exploit.

Beware of female scammers! They participate in dating app scams more often than you think.

Not Every Online is Who You Think They Are

Being able to identify dating app scams is the best way to protect yourself from them. With that said, you might want to know that scammers are not all men. Women can exploit you as well.

There was a case in the US where a female scammer was pursued by the FBI for theft, identity fraud, and kidnapping. She was using Tinder to lure out rich and lonely men, only to drug them and steal all their bank assets and cash.

That’s why it’s very important NOT to trust anyone you meet online. Regardless of how long you’ve been talking with them, you just can’t be 100% sure they’re a genuine person.

Protect yourself by paying attention to who you’re communicating with. If you sense that the individual you’re interacting with shows the classic signs of a scammer mentioned above, simply unmatch and move on.

References:

Aborisade, Richard Abayomi, et al. “Emotional and financial costs of online dating scam: A phenomenological narrative of the experiences of victims of Nigerian romance fraudsters.” https://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/pii/S2949791423000441.

Andress, Jason, and Steve Winterfeld. “Chapter 12 - Non-State Actors in Computer Network Operations.” https://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/abs/pii/B978012416672100012X.