Tinder, Match Group rolls out campaign to stop romance scams

This week, Match Group (the parent company of Tinder, Hinge, and many other popular apps) launched a campaign to help users sniff out various forms of online fraud, including romance scams.

Romance scams occur when someone creates a fake dating app profile to initiate a relationship with a victim and steal money. People reported he will lose $547 million to romance scams in 2021, according to the Federal Trade Commission. The numbers are up 80% from the report the FTC received in 2020, proving that the problem is getting worse.

Match Group has joined to combat this with a new global campaign. Users of French dating sites Tinder and Meetic receive in-app messages containing common scam tips and red flags. Match, Hinge, Plenty of Fish and OurTime users will receive notifications containing this information. Match Group partnered with law enforcement and financial exploitation experts to identify his six tips for users.

1. Use the app as long as possible: If your match wants to leave the app, but you don’t want to meet or make phone or video calls, this could be a red flag.

2. Use the tools available in the app. You can check your profile to let other users know who you really are. If someone isn’t verified and doesn’t even join the video call, there may be something fishy going on.

3. They’re 10, but they’re experts in cryptography. Anyone offering cryptocurrency advice is probably looking for money, not love.

4. The promise of a great return on investment or help secure your financial future: Financial advisors aren’t trolling dating apps looking for clients. If someone says they can teach you how to get rich, it’s too good to be true.

5. They may touch your heartstrings and seem desperate: If you’re asking for money to fund surgery, visas, or other bills, go the opposite direction.

6. Scams can look different and evolve all the time. Stay alert, stay alert. Scammers use a variety of tactics. Some people cheat long to gain your trust and don’t ask for money until months into your relationship.

“As a former detective and special agent, I know first-hand how scammers lure unsuspecting individuals into providing personal information and, ultimately, money. and preying on people seeking companionship, the group said in a press release. That’s why we’re committed to investing in building safe tools that users can use, with purpose-built technology and resources.”