A New Wave Of Romance Scams Is Washing Across The Internet Here’s How To Stay Safe

When meeting people you matched with for the first time, Robinson recommends doing so in a public setting and letting someone you trust know where and with whom you will meet. And if you feel unsafe while on a date, Bumble suggests finding a nearby advocate, which could mean enlisting the help of a bartender or waiter. The scammer may use financial gifts for personal spending, or sometimes they may launder money through romance scam victims. Many operate as part of organized crime rings, particularly those based overseas in countries like Nigeria, Ghana, and the Philippines. Before planning an in-person date, suggest setting up a video chat before meeting them in person.

You can also consider using a third-party authenticator app, such as Google Authenticator or Authy, to help with your internet security. Passwords are one of the biggest weak spots when it comes to cybersecurity. People often choose passwords that are easy to remember and, therefore, easy for hackers to crack with hacking software. In addition to this, using the same password for multiple sites puts your data at further risk.

HER’s rules are extremely clear and designed to protect the community. The app has no patience for TERFs (“Transphobes, you can kick rocks”) and “chasers” (people who fetishize trans individuals). It also explicitly bans “unicorn hunting,” so you won’t see couples objectifying and searching for a “unicorn” to join their threesome. For profile safety, a face photo is “required for safety and authenticity,” and all nudes and photos of unaccompanied minors are banned, too.

As Valentine’s Day 2026 approaches, people are turning to online shopping, digital dating, and last‑minute gift ideas. Check Point researchers have identified a sharp rise in Valentine‑themed phishing websites, fraudulent stores, and fake dating platforms designed to steal personal data and payment information. Romance scams increasingly exploit AI to create convincing profiles, automate conversations, and generate deepfake audio or video, making it harder to distinguish real individuals. Scammers accelerate intimacy, isolate victims, and often shift to investment fraud, especially involving cryptocurrency.

When red flags start waving, don’t wait around hoping things will get better. You may block this user on dating platforms and on your phone and, if you wish, you can report them to your dating system’s administrator. More problematically, 35% said they were sent sexually explicit messages or images they didn’t ask for, and 9% said that someone threatened to physically harm them. In my opinion, Hinge offers a better overall experience for most users right now. While Bumble’s “women make the first move” feature is empowering, the platform has faced some backlash lately, with users (including in our own testing) reporting issues with seeing blocked profiles. Hinge is currently “killing it” with features that make conversations more intentional.

She has a Master’s degree in Creative Publishing and Critical Journalism from The New School of Social Research and is a grad of Sextech School. You can find more of her work in various online pubs, including National Geographic, Insider, Kinkly, and others. While total anonymity can be a red flag elsewhere, Pure balances it with clever safety features. There’s a Photo Verification Badge you can add to your profile. For those who don’t have it, the “True Photo” request lets you ask for a live photo in your chat to confirm you’re not talking to a bot or a catfisher, which gives some much-needed peace of mind.

Stick to platforms like SlavicsOnly.com that manually screen every profile. We verify each member, so you can trust that you’re talking to a real woman with real intentions. Many mature singles appreciate how it removes casual dating clutter. Reviews often praise its compatibility system and focused user base. Don’t cave into early pressure to move off-platform, and treat this as a potential red flag. While AI makes romance scams more convincing, effective defences do exist.

If you have already transferred money, acting quickly matters. Contact your bank immediately and report the incident to Scamwatch or ReportCyber. Early reporting can reduce losses and help authorities disrupt larger networks. Victims may be encouraged to invest “together” or are shown screenshots of supposed past profits. Because the scam is framed as a shared future rather than a request for cash, it can go unrecognised.

Best Dating Apps In India For Finding Your Perfect Match In 2023

She also notes that there’s a big difference between meeting someone in-person and online. Usually people who meet in-person do so through work, mutual friends, or some sort of activity, which she says likely means potential dates have gone through some sort of screening process by their peers. They also said they block certain email addresses, phone numbers, and other identifiers in an effort to police who is allowed on the site. Accounts can also be banned across all Match brands, meaning a user who was banned on Tinder could also be prohibited from using Hinge. Romance scammers are essentially emotional manipulators who exploit the natural human desire for connection and love.

As a result, we recommend closing your old online accounts and requesting that your data be deleted from the relevant third-party servers. According to our focus group participants, transitioning from online messaging to a phone call or video chat is an important step to take before deciding whether to meet in person. Karen Bigman, a midlife and senior relationship and sex expert and host of the Taboo to Truth podcast in New York City, recommends a video date before meeting face to face. She says video calls can help confirm identity and give a better sense of compatibility. Online dating is generally considered safe, but scams do happen. According to the Federal Bureau of Investigation’s 2024 Internet Crime Report, adults ages 60 and older lost $389 million to romance scams in 2024.

A 2019 ProPublica report found more than a third of the over 1,200 women surveyed by the Columbia Journalism Institute reported being sexually assaulted by someone they met through an online dating platform. Another survey by the Australian Institute http://theladate.com/ of Criminology found that three in four survey respondents had been subjected to sexual violence facilitated via dating apps in the last five years. When chatting to a potential date or someone you’ve only just met, it’s best to keep your messages within the dating app.

When you’re on a website, make sure links click through to relevant or expected topics. For example, if you click on a link that you think is about safaris in Africa, but instead you’re taken to a clickbait-style page about celebrity weight loss or a “where are they now? AARP is a nonprofit, nonpartisan organization that empowers people to choose how they live as they age. Before going on a face-to-face date, Bigman recommends letting a trusted friend know where you’re going and sharing your location with them. “Online dating has become the new norm for millions,” Million said in the video.

OkCupid (also part of the Match Group) is my top pick for the open-minded dater who wants a feature-rich experience without having to shell out cash. It’s one of the most inclusive apps out there, with more than 22 gender and 12 sexual orientation options, so it’s great for the LGBTQ community. This attracts a super diverse dating pool, from people looking for a fun, casual hookup to those who want a long-term relationship built on shared beliefs. Plus, you can list your pronouns, which means you’re more likely to be addressed correctly from the get-go.

Best Hookup App

Living near a large metropolitan area, he said he has found plenty of matches on SilverSingles and has also made successful connections on Bumble. SeniorMatch advertises 24/7 live support, but this option is reserved for paid members, who pay $29.95 per month. Free users can get help through chat and email, though the chat feature is powered by an AI chatbot. This limitation is why the site received a lower score for customer support compared to others on this list.

Don’t feel embarrassed – these scammers are professionals who know exactly which emotional buttons to push. Overall, remember that having boundaries with your online romantic interests and remaining cautious is more than okay – it’s encouraged. Additionally, researching your online romantic interests isn’t something to be ashamed of, but a way to ensure your safety and the protection of your life, your property, and your assets. Secure your browsing, protect your personal data, and avoid digital risks with Kaspersky Premium. You’ll probably notice a few popular apps are missing from my list.

It may mean a temporary technical error, that the site is not active, there is no content, or that the website is actively blocking our efforts to analyze the information it is offering. As we analyze more than 2 million websites every month we recommend caution. Extra research to determine if this website is legit or a scam is recommended. Never send intimate images to someone you haven’t met and verified. You can still date online safely—as long as you stay vigilant and follow some easy steps to verify the people you engage with. The scammer may cite a believable excuse—travel problems, banking issues, family emergencies.

• Once you have matched with a potential date and chatted, consider scheduling a video chat with them before meeting up in person.
• In summary, we think online-dating-2y9u5k9f0b7.today is legit and safe for consumers to access.
• One tester liked how the platform displays a compatibility score for each match, making it easier to identify shared traits and potential dealbreakers.
• One of those matches, from quite far away, ended up being someone I really connected with on a deeper level.

However, most profiles on these counterfeit sites are fake, and replying to them usually costs you money. If you complain to the customer service team, you’ll find they are fake too. The scammer manipulates or grooms the other person to gain their trust over time, ultimately so they can either ask them for money or obtain enough personal information about them to steal their identity. Use reverse image searches, video chat before meeting, trust your instincts, and always have an exit strategy. There are plenty of genuine people looking for love online; you just need to wade through the scammers to find them.

The app also uses an AI-powered “Deception Detector” to flag spam and scams before they even get to you. I recommend Bumble for women and non-binary people who are tired of unwanted DMs and want to take control of their dating experience. By giving you the power to start every conversation, Bumble helps create more respectful connections from the start, especially among younger daters.

It’s easy to feel lost with the flood of information we’re exposed to every day. If you read something you are unsure of, do your own research to establish the facts. Reliable websites will have references to the original information and source materials. Password managers help users create strong passwords, store them in a digital vault (which is protected by a single master password) and retrieve them when logging into accounts online. Its free version is impressively feature-rich, letting you answer detailed questions to get a compatibility score. That said, if you’re looking for something casual and free, Tinder also makes it easy to find and chat with potential dates without paying.

She recommends not to post a picture that could be linked to a social media profile, and to avoid mentioning where they live, work, or visit regularly. “If sharing information makes you uncomfortable, you don’t have to continue these interactions,” Robinson says. Victims of rape who met their attacker on a dating app and went to the hospital after an assault also reported assaults that were more violent, according to the study. Of the nearly 3,500 people that participated in the study, a third of these victims were strangled and about a quarter had breast injuries. And as many safety measures are in place, they are not useful if people are not aware of the features available to them. “It’s really important that apps communicate these features and make them very easily accessible for users,” Robinson says.