One of life’s hard truths is that when we go looking for – or at least swiping for – love, we often find heartbreak instead. Sometimes it happens the old-fashioned way, from a relationship that just doesn’t work out for whatever reason. Other times, it happens when we right-swipe our way right into bad actors, phishers, and other perpetrators of Tinder scams.
Plenty of Tinder scams go down like any other: fake Tinder profiles and Tinder bots fool you into divulging private info one way or another, and from there get into your bank account – and a dating app where people put their hearts on their sleeves and their hopes on the line is unfortunately extra vulnerable to these shakedowns. Though no list of Tinder scams is totally conclusive, here are some of the most common threats you might encounter on the app, and how to swipe left on them.
Phishing Scams and Tinder Bots
Often the contact you make after swiping on Tinder is simply the first step in a conventional phishing scam, or a common type of online scam that seeks to grab your private info for monetary gain. Typically, a fake Tinder profile that you think is a real match will tempt you to click on a dubious link (“Want to see some pictures from my private site?”), where your device will be infected by information-gathering malware or where you’ll be prompted to enter sensitive personal information, increasing your vulnerability to identity theft and financial theft alike.
As we’ll touch on later, the Tinder accounts in these cases are either fake Tinder profiles (i.e. a scammer under the guise of a made-up person, usually using stolen profile pics) or Tinder bots, much like the software-driven chatbots companies use for technical support – and just about as sexy as a customer support bot, too.
Either way, when it comes to Tinder scams, there are plenty of phishers in the sea.
Tinder Investment Scams
Tinder’s famously hookup-friendly slant isn’t exactly entrepreneurial catnip, but scammers understand that physical and emotional attraction is the enemy of critical thinking, and they’re happy to use this to their advantage by sneaking in some juicy “investment opportunities.”
Here’s how it goes down. The scammer behind the fake Tinder profile (or Tinder bot) you’ve swiped on starts chatting you up about making some easy money, usually leading to a plug for some sort of investment platform or app you’ve never heard of. Usually, this “opportunity” is related to cryptocurrency. You’ll either end up sending your “investment” right to their bank account, or downloading malware disguised as an investing app.
The Two-Factor Method
Two-factor authentication, or 2FA, is that annoying-yet-safer login method that layers an extra protection measure on top of your username and password, like sending you an additional code via text message or email. And it’s become so ubiquitous that scammers are jumping in on it. Perps of this Tinder scam will claim to you, after chatting for a while to gain your trust, that they can’t log in to one of their accounts. They’ll ask if they can send you their 2FA code instead. What’s really happening is they’re trying to log in to one of your accounts protected by 2FA (like, let’s say, your checking account). They might already have your username and password, and now all they need is for you to tell them that 2FA code.
Straight-Up Romance Scams
Even on Tinder, despite its quick hookup ethos, sometimes you’ll click with someone but spend a long time interacting before meeting up in person. Not saying that can’t be legit, but sometimes it’s because you’re being played by a romance scammer.
Romance scams play out on Tinder the same way they do anywhere else. You connect, you vibe, you talk a whole lot (though you never meet in person), and then, inevitably, there’s a request for money. Usually, the scenario is plausible and relatable — car problems, a health issue, a bill, a canceled flight that needs to be rebooked — and can only be solved by a quick transfer of money. Specifically, money from you to them, and oftentimes more than just once.
This is catfishing, and it’s way less fun in real life than it is on reality TV.
Totally Unsweet Sugar Babies
Related to regular old romance scams are what’s called “sugaring” scams on Tinder. For better or worse, some people seek sugar babies on Tinder, which is an arrangement in which a wealthier “sugar mama” or “sugar daddy” pays someone – you guessed it, their “sugar baby” – to be with them.
In these Tinder scams, fake sugar…uh, parents pretend to be seeking sugar babies. In the vein of classic grifts, they’ll send you a large amount of money and ask for a smaller portion to be sent in return. The money you receive bounces or otherwise gets rejected by your bank, but – spoiler – the money you sent to the fake Tinder profile goes through just fine.
Tinder Sextortion Scams
There’s absolutely nothing sexy about these Tinder scams. Here, a predator (often one posing as a young person to attract younger Tinder users) encourages the victim to share racy photos or videos, eventually pushing them further for more graphic material.
With this sensitive media in hand, the scammer then blackmails the victim by threatening to circulate the photos or videos to real-life acquaintances, social media contacts, and co-workers unless they pony up a payment. Of course, paying them once just sets you up for a fresh set of increasingly large demands. It’s as ugly a crime as anything the online world has to offer.
Tinder and…Armed Robbery?
This is the kind of thing people tend to worry more about in the context of buy-sell meetup sites like Craigslist, but it does sometimes happen on Tinder and other dating sites. Criminals will arrange a hookup between their “too hot to be true” fake Tinder profile and an unsuspecting victim, and then rob them under threats of violence, or worse.
And while women are unfortunately conditioned to keep their guards up around sketchy meetups like this, on-record incidents of this type of crime have specifically targeted men, too. It’s as gender-agnostic as it is scary.
The Tinder Promoter
On a less dire but still kind of annoying note, you can’t escape influencers on Tinder. These Tinder scams don’t drain your bank accounts, but promoters (people hired by clubs, bars, and events to bring in crowds) will sometimes hide behind fake Tinder profiles to lure you out to an event, maybe pay the cover charge and two-drink minimum, and get their numbers up.
This one’s thankfully more of an embarrassing waste of time than anything else, but no one wants to be ghosted by a lightweight scammer.
Stay Safe From Tinder Scams
Tinder’s own help pages dish out solid advice about protecting yourself on the platform. Don’t sleep on Tinder’s built-in messaging filters, which can detect and warn you about deceptive, potentially damaging behavior. Scammers know this, and will usually want to connect with you directly through WhatsApp or social media instead, which has the added bonus of giving them more personally identifiable information.
Tinder scams largely rely on fake Tinder profiles or Tinder bots (autonomous programs that can chat with you) to rope you in. Obviously, the scammer isn’t out there providing their own name, location, and, likeness, and they’ll often try to sweeten the deal by creating fake Tinder profiles using images of especially attractive models or extra spicy pics. Use these tips to spot fake Tinder profile red flags, and when in doubt, do a bit of digging.
Spot the Red Flags
- Is your match strongly avoiding live contact? They might be a bot or a fake Tinder profile.
- Are they asking a ton of highly personal questions well before the first date? See above.
- If the responses come so fast that they seem automated, or the conversation has a weird cadence to it (for instance, you ask questions but they’re not answered), you could be dealing with a Tinder bot.
- If you’re unsure about a match, try asking specific questions. Tinder bots and scammers hidden behind fake Tinder profiles will often stumble on the details of recalling your past conversations, or avoid questions altogether.
- Try reverse image searching photos if you suspect you’re dealing with a fake Tinder profile. Screenshot their profile photos and use tineye.com or images.google.com to see if the pics appear elsewhere, which might indicate that they’ve been stolen.
- Not every long-distance relationship is a Tinder scam, but be cautious about those seeking long-distance, all-remote relationships, especially if they end up asking for money to help them travel home.
- Say it with us now: if it seems too good to be true, it probably is. This goes for rom-com-worthy fake Tinder profiles and get-rich-quick promises alike.
When it’s time to do that digging, you can use Spokeo’s People Search tools to chase down names, phone numbers, and addresses if you have them. If those don’t match the name and location you’ve been given by your online faux beau, your Tinder scams Spider-Sense should be tingling.
Protect Yourself
Alright, so you’ve got the red flags down, but protecting yourself from Tinder scams is about more than just spotting fake Tinder profiles and bots. Ultimately, these crooks are after your personal and financial info – namely bank account numbers, routing numbers, credit or debit card numbers, Social Security numbers, passwords they can use to steal your identity and make purchases, and the like.
Here’s how to keep that sensitive info under lock and key, no matter how sneaky the scammer is:
- Straight-up, just do not send private information or money to anyone you’ve never met outside the app. Save that stuff for when the relationship develops over the course of dating in, you know, the real world. Otherwise, you might be divulging to Tinder bots.
- Keep all communication on the app. Oftentimes, someone (or some bot) trying to get you off Tinder and onto another app is a Tinder scam red flag.
- Never click on links sent by a Tinder match that you haven’t met in person. It could lead right to installing malware on your device, or to sham websites after your personal info.
- Likewise, don’t download apps at a Tinder match’s request. Maybe wait a few in-person dates before app-recommending privileges.
The Next Steps
If you’ve caught on to a Tinder scam, immediately block the account (don’t bother trying to reason with them or guilt them – scammers have developed an immunity to both) and make sure you flag the interaction for Tinder to investigate, or report your issue to Tinder right here by choosing “I have a safety or privacy concern” from the drop-down menu. If you’ve been lured off-site, take screenshots of your interactions on other platforms and have them ready.
If the scammers have already cost you money, report them to the appropriate authorities as well. This includes your local police department, the FTC’s fraud reporting site, and the FBI’s Internet Crime Complaint Center. Like a bad date, you can always pick yourself up off the ground and dust off after a Tinder scam, but you might as well help prevent a little future heartbreak along the way.
As a freelance writer, small business owner, and consultant with more than a decade of experience, Dan has been fortunate enough to collaborate with leading brands including Microsoft, Fortune, Verizon, Discover, Office Depot, The Motley Fool, and more. He currently resides in Dallas, TX.
Sources
Nord VPN – How to Identify and Report Tinder Bots
Better Business Bureau – BBB Scam Alert: Swiping Right on Tinder? Watch Out for Cryptocurrency Scams
Interpol – Investment Fraud via Dating Apps
Federal Trade Commission – Romance Scams
MarketWatch – Violent Gang Created Fake Profiles on Tinder to Lure Men – Then Allegedly Beat and Robbed Them at Gunpoint
Federal Bureau of Investigation – Sextortion
Norton – 5 Common Tinder Scams to Avoid in 2024
All About Cookies – Don’t Be Hooked by These 13 Dating Scams
Tinder – Dating Safety Tips
Tinder – Submit a Request
Federal Trade Commission – ReportFraud.ftc.gov
Federal Bureau of Investigation – Internet Crime Complaint Center (IC3)