Looking to date online but worried about Tinder scams?
Worry not, we are here to help you!
In the past five years, Tinder users have lost around $1,300,000,000, with the figure topping $547,000,000 in 2021.
It’s a lot of money – but the figure could be even higher in real terms.
According to FTC research, the age bracket most at risk of being scammed is the 60+ group. At the same time, it’s reckoned that this is also the age bracket that underreports romance fraud, perhaps out of embarrassment.
In a nutshell, Tinder scams are real and they could happen to anyone who just wants to find love online.
In this article, we’re going to take a look at the Tinder scams you need to look out for.
We’ll show you how to detect them, avoid them, and all the warning signs while you're dating online.
Top 5 Scams You Need to Know About and How to Avoid Them
1. Tinder Account Verification Scam
The Tinder verification scam or Tinder code scam isn’t a new scam – in fact, it’s one of the oldest tricks in the book.
The culprit will start by posing as a high-value real person who’s afraid of being scammed by you.
In the event, they’ll start off by matching with you before asking if you’re a verified user. If you say that you’re not a verified user, they will ask you to verify your Tinder account for their own safety.
Pretty smart – but also very dangerous.
What happens next is they send you a link that allows you to “verify” your Tinder account. But what’s actually happening is you’re sending them your key details that enable them to commit fraud.
This is an easy scam to fall for because, naturally, we want to talk to people we’ve matched with who look great in their pics. But unless we verify our profile for them, we can't talk to them!
Once you visit the link, you'll be asked for key personal data like your name, address, phone number, email, Social Security number, birth date, and even your bank account or credit card number.
Jeez.
How to Avoid This Scam
According to Tinder FAQs, phone verification is a two-step process that includes pose verification and face verification. Once your selfie photos have passed both these steps, you will receive verification status.
Don’t worry – your selfie photos won’t be added to your profile. Instead, they’ll be stored on Tinder’s servers to make sure that any future verification is a piece of cake.
2. Tinder Bot Scam
Tinder bot profiles are everywhere. If you match with one and don’t recognize that it’s a bot, it might lure you into a bit of online romance before eventually trying to scam you.
How to Recognise a Tinder Bot
Fortunately, Tinder bots are easy to spot once you know the signs to look out for:
- There are no links to their social media profiles. While not everyone links to their social media profiles on Tinder, bots definitely do not.
- They avoid live interaction. If you ask for a phone call or a video call sometimes and they refuse flat-out (or don’t even answer the question), it’s already a warning sign.
- They ask you to send money. This is the big telltale sign.
- They invite you to click a link. Another huge warning sign! The moment Tinder invites you to click a link is the moment you should realize something fishy is going on here.
3. Catfishing on Tinder
A catfish is someone who creates a fake identity on Tinder (and other dating apps and sites) and basically pretends to be someone they’re not.
They’ll charm you, romance you and make you laugh on Tinder … but they’re only here to get money out of you.
There are all kinds of catfish horror stories on Tinder and they almost always involve profiles that often seem too good to be true: Hot girls or hot guys who are having lots of fun with their friends in their photos and who clearly love life.
And the best thing is? They’ve matched with you and seem to really like you!
Due to all this, it’s really easy to get hooked in by a catfish and scammed out of all your money.
How to Recognise a Catfish on Tinder (or Any Fake Account on Tinder)
- Their photos look too good to be true. Catfishes won’t use their own photos for obvious reasons. They will instead steal photos off the internet – and these photos are often of models set against a sun-kissed background.
- They’re moving fast. They talk to you a lot, they’ve already spoken about looking for love, as well as the opportunity to have a relationship with you – and yet it’s only been a day or two since you matched`!
- Nothing about them seems to add up. You can’t find them online, they have a high-flying job but yet seem to always be available and their backstories (if they have any) just don’t make sense.
- Their conversations are always the same. They like you, want to get to know you and maybe even feel themselves falling in love. But where are the in-depth conversations about their interests and passions?
- They ask you for money. All catfishes eventually ask you for money – and this is something that ‘regular’ people who are genuinely looking for dating opportunities will not do.
4. Tinder Blackmail Scams
Tinder blackmail scam is scary.
Naturally, you’re probably wondering how the heck someone can scam you online if you’ve ever even met them yet!
Well, let’s imagine you get talking to a catfish without realizing it. Things are going so well that they’ve asked you if you’d like to send them a few risqué pictures of yourself.
In other words, nudes.
Maybe you got a bit carried away, felt good about this person – and went ahead and sent them the pics.
The problem now is that, because they’re catfish, they’re holding onto your pics as a bargaining chip. Unless you send them cash, they will share them online so that your friends and family members will see them.
How to Deal With Tinder Blackmail Scams
- Do not hand over your money. The first thing you must do is take a deep breath and don't hand over any money. Once you do this, your blackmailer has won.
- Contact Tinder Support. Tinder has a support team that you can contact at any time. As soon as you’ve been blackmailed – and we repeat, as soon as – you must report the account to the support team.
- Don’t delete the messages. At this point, you might be so scared and traumatized that you want to unmatch your blackmailer, delete the messages – and maybe even delete the dating app. But it’s extremely important that you keep as much evidence as you can so that you can catch the blackmailer.
- Share your story. Being the victim can be deeply upsetting. If you’re hurting right now and feel ashamed, make sure to open up to someone close to you who you trust and confide in.
5. Venue Promotion Scams
One of the most unusual – and seemingly pointless – Tinder scams is the venue promotion scam.
This is when someone on Tinder (or off Tinder, such as Facebook) will organize a group meet-up for singles who want to meet other singles.
In other words, they’ll message you and ask if you want to meet with everyone at a neutral venue, such as a restaurant, that they have hired for the night.
The idea is that you all get together, chat – and maybe make a date with someone you like the look of.
The reality is that there never was a venue booked in the first place! Instead, the “host” has tricked a group of people into meeting at a restaurant … but the host doesn’t even turn up.
What happens is that the host uses you guys to pay for their huge tab and meal!
A venue promotion scam can be easy to fall for because it sounds so real. You’ll be meeting other singles at a totally legit location.
What could go wrong?
How to Avoid Being Scammed on Tinder by Promoters
Say No to being invited to a group event. If someone comes to you unsolicited on Tinder or elsewhere and asks you to join a Tinder event at a specified location, just politely decline. Tinder events are never organized like this (where the host asks you).
Suggest an alternative location. If a Tinder match has invited you to a Tinder event, tell them you’d rather go on a one-on-one date. If they accept, you know they’re genuine. If you refuse, you know you’ve caught them out. At this point, you can report them to Tinder.
How to Recognise a Tinder Catfish Scam or Fake Account on Tinder?
We’ve already walked you through a number of ways you can spot a scam on Tinder, such as if they ask you for money or invite you to a group event.
However, another solid option is to use a tool that was literally designed for this sort of thing, such as SocialCatfish.
Social Catfish investigates online dating profiles for you, offering tools such as reverse image search (to see if your match has stolen their pics off Google) and reverse email address search (to see if their email address was only recently created).
Signs You’re Talking to a Scammer on Tinder:
While romance fraud is on the rise, there are fortunately a few different ways you can spot a Tinder scammer before things get out of hand:
- They Ask for Money
Scammers will always ask for money eventually – even after they’ve arranged to meet you on a date (they won’t turn up btw but will stall by giving you a sob story). You can easily tell them apart from genuine Tinder users because someone who’s genuinely looking for love online will not ask you for money.
- They Rush Into Things
While it’s not unusual for people on Tinder to hook up the same night they started chatting, it is unusual if someone declares their love for you and tries to get you to chat with them on another dating app.
Scammers generally move things super fast and when they ask to meet up, it’s usually a strange location that doesn’t feel “right” to you.
- Their Profile Seems Too Good to Be True
Are their pics too hot? Are you wondering why on earth they’d be talking to you? If so, this could be a scam.
- They Avoid Video Calls
While even some genuine daters don’t like the idea of a video call, most will be glad to have one with you before they meet you. But if your match either avoids the question when you ask if they want a video call or flat-out refuse, it’s a warning sign.
- They Avoid Meeting in Person
We have to meet our date eventually, right? If, however, your match seems reluctant to meet (or if they suggest a strange location), this is another cause for alarm bells.
- They Send Generic Messages
If you’re finding it impossible to have a proper, in-depth chat with them about your life and their life, it can suggest a romance scam.
At the end of the day, Tinder scammers just want your money and – coupled with the fact that English probably isn't their first language – they will stick to generic, boring messages.
How Does Tinder Protect Its Users From Scams?
Tinder advises that, where possible, users should aim to keep their conversations limited to the app for as long as they can. In other words, don’t hand over your phone number too soon – especially if you’re suspicious of someone.
There’s also a help service, which you should contact as soon as you spot a potential Tinder scammer.
Tinder takes the user experience seriously and will ban anyone who is in violation of its terms and conditions.
Takeaway:
As we’ve seen, Tinder scams are on the rise – but this doesn’t mean that you should refrain from dating online.
Indeed, it’s not the app itself that is bad and there are, of course, plenty of genuine daters who use Tinder. It’s just that, now and then, you might come across a Tinder scammer.
As long as you take proper precautions and use the tips we’ve listed above to spot and report a Tinder scam, there’s no reason why you can’t enjoy Tinder to its full potential and find a romantic partner.