Earlier this year the Tinder Swindler took the world by storm as it was revealed that a man had been catfishing his life on dating apps to lure in potential matches, and then use them for monetary gain.
But how can people be sure their match is who they say they are?
New research by TechRobot has analysed profiles across Tinder, Bumble, and Hinge to reveal the risks of oversharing on dating apps and spoken to Tech experts to give advice on how people can identify whether their match is honest or not.
VPN expert Lasse Walstad says you can identify cybercriminals dating profiles in four ways;
They ask unnecessary personal questions
If somebody you have swiped right on asks for information which seems unnecessary, and persistently asks you personal questions, this is a red flag. If they ask for details such as your address, but you are meeting at a restaurant, or they want to know your place of work out of the blue, you should question their intentions. If somebody is genuinely interested in getting to know you, these questions will only be asked further into your relationship.
They are persistent
Cybercriminals will often be persistent in their criminal attempts. From constant messages to swiping they will often bombard you with messages until they get what they want. If someone you have matched with continuously messages you, or asks for specific information you are not comfortable with sharing, unmatch them and report them for harassment.
Their profile looks ‘too perfect’
Whilst everyone wants to match with the perfect person, sometimes it can be too good to be true. Cybercriminals are known for being catfishes and stealing professional images from the web or a model’s social media accounts to conceal their identity. If you are concerned that your match isn’t who they say they are you can perform a quick reverse image search on Google to see where else the images have been published.
The messages seem scripted
Often cybercriminals will use and send, the same messages to each of their victims. If the questions seem ungenuine, or the responses seem generic and scripted the person you have matched with is most likely a bot or cybercriminal. People who are genuinely interested in matching with potential love interests will make an effort with their responses and want to make conversation.
