Fraud experts have revealed the major dating app red flags that could show you are being scammed as ‘cuffing season’ nears an end. The colder months are often used by singletons to ramp up their efforts to find a partner to ward off loneliness and low moods that winter can bring.
And while online matchmaking services such as Tinder and Bumble have helped countless couples find love through their phone, they are also sometimes used by scammers. Now experts have listed the early warning signs that can help would-be daters filter who is real and who is a potential catfish.
Chloe Roche, fraud expert manager, from leading fraud recovery experts CEL Solicitors said: “The colder months of the year are often described as ‘cuffing season’ as singletons make it a bigger priority to find romance. And while online applications such as Tinder have tonnes of success stories in matching soulmates, there can be a dark side too.
“Scammers are always looking for new and easy ways to trick people into handing over their personal details and ultimately their cash, and not even playing with people’s hearts is off-limits. Fraudsters often use fake profiles to build a connection with unsuspecting targets, and their malevolent intentions may only be discovered when it is already too late.
“Thankfully, scammers often aren’t as clever as they think they are and there are a number of common mistakes they make that should set alarm bells ringing immediately. Keep a close eye out for red flags such as silly spelling mistakes, poor quality photos that may just be a screenshot, or if a photo has been cropped or edited badly.
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“It’s often a numbers game for scammers and they will be juggling many different potential victims at once, so this can make them a little careless with things such as using realistic photos or maintaining a genuine conversation.
“It’s also important to be on guard for conversations that turn towards money, and you should never send money to someone you don’t know and trust in real life.”
Chloe added: “We have seen clients lose large sums of money to online tricksters, but there is also a human cost where victims lose their ability to trust others because of the scams.
“Millions of people use online dating without any problems at all and they can be a really useful way to meet a potential match.
“But there are always a few bad apples who can ruin it for everyone else, and it’s vital to be on guard until you know you can trust the other person.”
