For its 57 million users worldwide, more than half of whom use the dating app on a daily basis, Tinder offers a fun, convenient way to meet and match with new people. But the platform has a bot problem. Too many of the profiles on the app are not from potential partners within a 100-mile distance but from computer-generated accounts. The scope for romance? Limited.
That’s not to single Tinder out. It’s true of the internet in general, with more than half of web traffic bot-generated, according to NordVPN. Bots themselves are not necessarily malicious. We use them every day for customer service and advice. But interacting with an AI-powered bot is not what Tinder users sign up for.
More importantly, Tinder bots aren’t there as a harmless prank. Their purpose is usually to scam, infect your device with malware and steal personal identifiable information or card details. (A bot is not the same as a fake Tinder profile from a catfisher. Fake profiles are created by real humans; bots are generated by software programs using artificial intelligence and machine learning.)
Here are the biggest Tinder bot red flags to watch out for.
1. No Links to Social Media Accounts
One way to create a Tinder account is to log in through your Facebook account. The app then pulls in your photos and bio information to confirm your profile and does not allow you to change your age.
Bot accounts, on the other hand, often give themselves away by showing no links to either a Facebook or Instagram account. If they do, the number of connections or followers is suspiciously low. One academic study found that the average Tinder bot count was 60 Facebook connections. Dig deeper and you may also find that these connected accounts look strangely thin on detail and updates.
2. Linked Social Media Account Seems Fake
Developers of more sophisticated bots might have taken the precaution of linking to a social media account. When you check it, however, you’ll find that there are only one or two photos, no location information and no history of schools, places or jobs.
That’s a classic catfish move, but it works for bots too. Again, check the so-called friends and followers of the account and don’t stop until you find one that is plausible as a genuine profile.
3. Grammar Mistakes
The messages Tinder bots send might be generated purely by AI software or loaded up manually into a database. Just like scam phishing emails, SMS fraud and other common hacking attempts, attention to detail is rarely a priority. For the seasoned Tinder flirt, something will just feel “off.” The bio doesn’t seem natural, the language is clumsy and artificial, and there may even be grammar mistakes.
Of course, not every genuine Tinder user rigorously proofreads their late-night messages against a style guide, but if it’s a struggle just to get through the syntax, it might be time to trust your instincts.
4. (Too) Professional Photos
While it’s not uncommon for Tinder users to pick their best shot for their profile, Tinder bots typically raise the bar too high. The signature giveaway is a glamor shot of a conspicuously attractive female swimwear model. After all, most Tinder scams target straight men using apparently lusty women as bait.
Sadly, the likelihood is that the photos were cloned from another profile, Instagram account, model portfolio or even a screenshot from a porn site. To check, run a reverse photo lookup.
5. Moving Too Fast
Bots tend to display a rookie flirting game. Expect the first message to drop as soon as you match. Too fast? That will be the software triggering automatically (and it’s sliding into the DMs of other users at the same time too, round the clock, 365 days a year). If you do respond, you’ll get a message back immediately too. Why? Because all their responses are set up in advance.
6. Odd Replies
Having a “conversation” with a Tinder bot is rather like trying to get the attention of someone immersed in a video game. What you say and what they reply are only loosely related. At first it might just look as if the match misunderstood your message or that they ignored an important part. But by the second or third message it should be clear that the bot is just doing its own thing.
You can catch it out by typing in something that doesn’t make any sense at all or retyping your previous message. The bot’s sequence of pre-programmed responses will just keep on coming — and you can keep on moving.
7. Sending a Link To Click On
At this point we reach the whole reason for bots at all on Tinder. Somewhere, a hacker wants control of your device. To get that, they will need you to click on a link or leave the platform to visit a suggested site.
One gambit is to ask you to verify your Tinder account by entering a code via a link. This, they say, is to protect their own online safety. For yours, treat any links in Tinder as a bright red flag.
8. Immediate Request for Personal Information
Some scammers are bold enough to code a bot that asks straight out for personal identifiable information. The “match” just wants to reassure themselves that you are who you say you are, for example. Feel free to ask them for theirs first, and if they do agree (which they usually won’t) verify it using a Spokeo search on their name, phone number, address or email address.
All the above may sound like common sense, but it’s easy to get tricked by a bot on Tinder. The way users swipe through a high volume of profiles at speed makes it easier for the occasional bot to slip through, on top of the fact that users often tend to scroll absent-mindedly through their feed rather than picking through each profile with forensic analysis. If you do encounter a bot, the golden rule is not to click on any links. Your next step should be to report it using the button provided.
References:
- Information Sciences Institute – A Close Look at Tinder Bots
- TechJunkie – How To Tell if a Tinder Profile Is Fake (or a Bot)