Recently, I came across a quote saying “Don’t let scammers break your heart or your bank account.” This makes me go back to the share of experiences that I have had on dating apps. While I have made friends and connections through this, I have also had my fair share of being scammed. One thing that always comes to my mind is that the question is whether to date or not to but date online or not.
While dating apps have changed the way how you find love and connect. If not used properly, you can be exposed to the dark side, i.e., online dating scams. India is the 5th fastest-growing dating app market globally, as users spend millions every year.
As per a survey done by Tinder, 9 out of 10 Gen-Z Indians are on online dating apps. Ever since, the pandemic, these numbers have further increased. A survey done by McAfee, a global leader in online protection pointed out that 77% of Indians had come across fake profiles or AI-generated images on dating apps. Further 39% of Indians, said that their potential love interest turned out to be a scammer.
What are these Online Dating Scams?
In a dating scam, scammers build a connection with a person by making a fake profile without raising any suspicion. As soon as they gain your trust, they emotionally manipulate you and try to extract money from you.
Justin Lehmiller, a social psychologist points out that a dating scam from an emotional point of view further adds deep feelings of insecurity, anxiety and loss.
The Netflix drama, Tinder Swindler was based on a real-life story where a man named Simon Leviev catfished several women on dating apps and stole millions of dollars from them.
Tactics used by Scammers
On dating apps such as Tinder and Bumble, it has been seen that it is mostly men who fall prey to dating scams by being honey-trapped and drained emotionally and financially.
At first, a scammer would try to build a genuine connection. They try to pose themselves as being new to the city, fabricate stories of loneliness and seek companionship. Once they feel that they have gained your trust, they start emotionally manipulating you.
The most common reasons why people become a victim of such scams are:
- Easy access– Dating apps offer an easy way out to connect with people an easy way to connect people at any time from any location.
- Fashionable and trendy– Often due to peer pressure and social media, it has been seen that people sign up on these dating apps.
- Loneliness and desperation to build an emotional or intimate connection.
- Lack of family time leads to individuals seeking validation from strangers.
- The shift from actual relationships to the digital age- With a busy schedule and commitments to work and education, people find dating apps to be more convenient rather than traditional methods.
How to be safe on a dating app?
A few things to keep in mind are:
- Listen to your gut feelings– Most of the time, a too-good-to-be-true profile seems to be fake. Be cautious about whom you are interacting with.
- Verified Profiles– Dating apps like Bumble and Tinder, now come with certain profiles that have a verified tick. In case of a profile that is not verified and seems a bit fishy, you can check reverse image search to find any duplicates on another site using Google images.
- Don’t rush– Before building up a connection, take time to properly analyse and be in tune with your emotions. Take it slow. Stay cautious of someone who professes their emotions too quickly.
- Avoid sharing personal data that can be used to manipulate and exploit you like your address, financial details and private pictures.
- Never send money to someone you have just met online, no matter how hard they try to convince you.
- Report any suspicious activities such as abusive or offensive messages, fraudulent profiles, catfishing and sextortion to the dating app administrators.
- If you feel suspicious of being scammed, talk to your family and friends or seek advice from professionals.
While I have heard many great stories about people finding genuine love on such dating apps. I feel you must also be aware of its perils, and the emotional and mental toll it might take if you fall prey to a dating scam. Just like other things in life, be careful. If this is your way of finding love, then you must also be aware of its perils. You need to be very careful and trust your instincts while interacting with someone online and learn to recognize any suspicious behaviour.