One minute you are laughing over snacks and drinks with your dating app match, and the next you are staring at a bill so outrageous it feels like you accidentally ordered the whole menu. Meanwhile, your ‘date’ has disappeared and you are surrounded by bouncers who will not let you leave till you clear the bill. The meeting you imagined would lead to you meeting the love of your life, has turned out to be a nightmare you cannot forget.
Many people have become victims of this scam. Scammers connect with their potential victims on dating apps and lure them into meeting at a specific bar or restaurant. Once there, they encourage victims to order expensive food and drinks. The bar or the restaurant then presents an inflated bill, forcing the victim to pay a huge amount. These scams are often carried out in collusion with the owners and staff of certain restaurants and bars.
This is one of the various types of scams being carried out through dating apps. Some other types of dating app scams include:
- Extortion Scam- After befriending victims online, scammers ask for intimate photos or persuade them to perform acts on webcam. Later, they threaten to expose these materials unless money is sent.
- Fake Investment Scam- In this, scammers build a fake romantic relationship over time to gain victims’ trust. They then lure victims into investing large sums in fake cryptocurrency or investment schemes. Eventually, the scammers disappear with the money, leaving victims emotionally and financially devastated.
Image credits: CyberDost I4C on X (@cyberdost)
- Catfishing- The scammer creates a fake profile (often using AI) and deceives the victim into believing that they are into a genuine relationship. The scammer then exploits the victim’s emotional vulnerability to extort money.
Source: AI Generated Image
- Financial Assistance Scam- In this, the scammer first builds a fake emotional connection with the victim. They fabricate urgent situations (such as medical emergencies) and ask victims to send money for emergencies or expenses. Once the money is sent, the scammers disappear. Fraudsters also share malicious links through chats to steal financial details or personal data of the victim.
How to Stay Safe?
- Only connect with ‘verified’ profiles on dating apps. Before sharing any sensitive information or money with anyone, verify their authenticity.
Verified profiles usually have a tick mark/symbol to show that they are verified
Source: AI generated image
- Do not meet anyone who you do not trust. Ensure that you know the person well enough before you meet them.
- While choosing a place to meet, ensure that you check online reviews of that place before you go there.
Check the reviews of the place before you go there
Image credit: justdial.com
- Independently verify any investment opportunities which they share before you invest your money.
- Users can raise a complaint and inform the grievance officer of the dating app about any fake profile or any illicit activity being carried out through any profile. It is mandatory for intermediaries like dating apps to appoint a grievance officer under the Information Technology (Intermediary Guidelines and Digital Media Ethics Code) Rules, 2021.
- You can report any cybercrime incidents to the National Cybercrime Helpline by dialling 1930. You can also visit the National Cybercrime Reporting Portal at cybercrime.gov.in to register your complaint online.
Image credits: Cyber Dost on Facebook