Match Group Inc., the parent company of popular dating apps Tinder, Hinge and Match, has launched a new campaign to warn and inform daters about online romance scams.
Users of Tinder, Hinge, Match, Plenty of Fish, Meetic and OurTime in more than 15 countries will begin receiving messages alerting them to tips and common behaviors to look out for and help identify possible online fraud, the company said Tuesday.
These tips were created with the assistance of law enforcement and financial exploitation experts. They will appear via in-app messages on Tinder and Meetic, while Match, Hinge, Plenty of Fish and OurTime users will be notified.
The Match Group Inc. app is used on a smartphone arranged on Friday, January 29, 2021 in St. Thomas, U.S. Virgin Islands.
(Photographer: Gabby Jones/Bloomberg via Getty Images)
Hinge app launches video verification feature to confirm user authenticity
Match Group noted that its brands have previously taken steps to help prevent scams or scams, including introducing selfie verification and video chat, and sending pop-up messages with safety tips if a language is detected in a conversation between users.
The press release cites the FTC, highlighting that reported losses from dating scams in the U.S. are higher than any other type of scam, at more than $300 million a year.
“As a former detective and special agent, I know how scammers lure unsuspecting people into providing personal information and ultimately money — including preying on those seeking love or companionship,” said Buddy R. Buddy Loomis, said in a statement. “That’s why we’re committed to investing in building safety tools available to users by leveraging technologies and resources designed to help them protect themselves from the world around them and create safer connections.”
The Match dating app is shown on an Apple Inc. iPhone in a photo taken in Washington, DC, U.S., Monday, Nov. 5, 2018.
(Photographer: Andrew Harrer/Bloomberg via Getty Images)
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In a list of tips written for users by Match Group, investigators and victim advocates:
- Stay on the app as you learn about new connections. If a match wants a mobile platform but doesn’t want to meet or video chat, that’s a red flag.
- Make sure to verify your profile and note the verification checks for matches.
- If your new relationship is giving you cryptocurrency or investment advice, it’s probably a scam. According to experts, scammers also use tricks to focus on how a large return can improve your life, or what you can do with that new money.
- Scammers play on users’ heartstrings, telling desperate stories involving money.
- As platforms become more accessible and online scams evolve, bad actors often play the long game. Never send or receive money by wire transfer, money order, currency exchange, gift card, or investment with someone you’ve never met.
