Today, Valentine's Day and the team of experts of the global digital security company ESET gives us some tips to prevent scammers from stealing more of our hearts.
Online dating has revolutionized the way people connect. At least 350 million people used dating apps in 2022. But apart from being an easy way to meet other people, these apps offer many opportunities for scammers and hackers to take advantage of unsuspecting users. With the huge popularity of dating apps and social media it has become easier for fake suitors to find and deceive their victims.
More often than you think, lonely hearts instead of finding love end up losing their money. A report of the United States Federal Trade Commission found that romance scams cost nearly 70.000 people a staggering $2022 billion in 1,3. However, this is not the whole picture, as many fraud victims are too embarrassed to come forward with complaints.
Many victims of romance scams have also become unwitting money transfer steamers. As evidenced by the intersection of romance scam and cryptocurrency scam known as butchering fraud (the same happens with the sugar daddy scams), scammers are constantly adding new ingredients to tried-and-true recipes. In yet another variation of the romance scam, scammers use artificial intelligence tools to make themselves more convincing and pretend to be someone famous like Kevin Costner.
What can you do to protect yourself if you are surfing the Internet in search of a romantic relationship? How do romance scammers work and what threats lurk in dating apps?
Table of Contents
1. Catfishing: Creating fake identities
One of the most common tactics used by fraudsters on dating apps is catfishing – creating fake social media profiles to trick their victim. These scammers often use stolen or saved photos and fabricated personal information to lure unsuspecting victims. There are many websites that use artificial intelligence to create realistic images and photos of people (who, you guessed it, don't exist) that scammers can use to create a realistic online persona.
Scammers will then use this profile to connect with unsuspecting users, send messages and track down their victims. Once they find that their interlocutor is able to give them what they want, they will go to great lengths to gain the trust of their victims and trick them into thinking they are in a normal relationship.
The scammer can then take financial advantage of the victim, using fake sob stories and fake emergencies with demands for money. The love victim may proceed with money transfers, buy them gifts or even book plane tickets in hopes of supporting his/her “partner” and making their dreams of true romance come true.
Cybercriminals do their research and can appear as authentic as any other profile on the app. They may take to social media to learn more about their victims' hobbies, beliefs and habits, using this information to give the illusion that they have common interests, helping to create an even stronger bond. This bond then gives them more power for emotional manipulation.
How to protect yourself:
It sounds simple, but when you're in love, making sure your partner is a real person might not be your first thought. Checking their social media, asking to meet them, asking probing questions, asking for proof of identity – all these will convince you that Karolina from Sweden is indeed Karolina from Sweden and not Clive from… USA.
But even if you are convinced that your interlocutor is really who he claims to be, you should always be suspicious if he asks you for money, favors or valuable information. They may be real persons, but their intentions may not be good. All too often, internet lovers have stumbled upon fake sob stories. Their online romance may convince them that they need money to pay their sick relative's medical bills, save their fledgling business, or take advantage of a unique investment opportunity.
2. Phishing attacks and "infection" with malicious software
As an online platform, dating apps offer an easy gateway for phishing attacks and malware 'infection'. Cybercriminals can create profiles and send seemingly innocent messages with malicious links or attachments, convincing desperate lonely people to click on them. They can use bots to do this on a large scale. These links lead to installing malware on the victim's device. Once the malware is installed, personal information or data stored on the device is compromised, massively increasing the risk of identity theft and credit card fraud.
How to protect yourself: In the early stages of an acquaintance, before you get to know your interlocutor better, do not open or click on any links they send you. Even if it's a seemingly harmless link to a restaurant you like and mention in your profile, scammers can be creative and can make links look enticing and authentic. Wait a while until you are sure you trust your partner before you proceed to exchange links and explore the paths of the internet together.
3. Data collection for blackmail
Online dating platforms store a lot of personal information, which makes them attractive targets for hackers. A reporter for the Guardian realized that through her Tinder profile, the app collected 800 pages of data, including likes, interests, photos, friends and romantic preferences.
Fraudsters may use tactics like data mining to extract these sensitive details from user profiles. Also, incidents where such information is leaked are not unheard of – for example, the personal data of 260.000 users were leaked from a dating app's database last year.
How to protect yourself: Many apps require access to some of your data to provide you with the required functionality and experience. However, it is important to you know what data is collected and how they are used. Consider staying away from apps that don't allow you to opt out of sharing data with third parties.
Additionally, be aware that once you provide the information, there is not much that can be done. So the best thing to do is to be careful about what you post online. Don't post anything that could get you into trouble in the future.
Even worse, don't be tempted to send sly photos or videos to an acquaintance. This happens especially to young people and often starts with the fake suitor sharing "his" revealing photos and asking for similar photos of his victims in return. If you accept, the blackmail begins – the scammer will you threaten to share the material with your social media contacts unless you pay or send more provocative photos or videos.
To avoid blackmail – sextortion, never share photos that you would be embarrassed to see posted online. By the same token, don't share sexual images or pose naked for the camera.
4. Threats related to tracking your location
Many dating apps use services based on users' location to connect with other singles nearby. While this feature makes it easier for people to find potential mates nearby, it also opens the door to potential threats. Hackers can exploit location data to track and attack people, creating a real-world security concern.
How to protect yourself: Let's say you don't want to turn off location services in dating apps because you want to match with someone close to you, not on the other side of the world. A compromise could be to turn off location services when you're not actively scanning or scrolling for dates. This way you remove that extra piece of vulnerability that makes you a more attractive target for malicious users.
Conclusion
As dating apps continue to grow in popularity (they are predicted to have over 450 million users until 2028), the risk of becoming a target of fraud and attacks also increases. For those navigating the world of online dating, suspicious links and uncertainty about your partner's true identity should be at the top of the list.
If something seems strange or "not quite right", immediately report the user and block them. Don't be disappointed though, as over the 70% of people who flirt online report that they have found their match.
With these percentages, it's clear that online dating can be extremely successful!
So we should all work together to make these platforms as safe and enjoyable as possible. Who knows, your true love might be just a click away…
