Online dating is extremely common these days, so it helps to know these tips to stop yourself from being ‘Tinder Swindled’.
Everyone is talking about the new Netflix documentary, The Tinder Swindler. Whilst we are shocked by the amount of money he ‘swindled’ from his victims, and his short five months in prison, it all came down to one thing… the art of the ‘Catfish’.
‘Catfishing’ is when someone creates fake profiles on social media sites to trick people into thinking they are somebody else. Whilst the modern-day world of dating apps allows us more accessible ways to find a potential match, there is always that risk of someone pretending to be something or someone they are not.
So, before meeting your match face-to-face, doing a bit of digging on them is a must and there are certain signs you can look out for which will tell you someone is a catfish.
The experts at Wethrift share the main reasons why someone would create a fake profile and seven ways you can spot whether the person you are chatting with is the real deal, or somebody who could potentially put you in danger.
Here are the three kinds of catfish:
A human-controlled fake profile
One of the hardest to catch out because there will be an actual human controlling the messages. This will be someone trying to push a certain agenda, whether that’s a service, product, or scam.
Dangerous Catfish
This would be someone pretending to be someone else; trying to plan a meet-up with malicious intentions.
Lonely Catfish
This one is a little more on the sad side. Someone who might be lonely, and obviously quite self-conscious, and just wants to chat. Whilst it may not be dangerous as such, it can still mess with people’s lives.
So how can you sniff out a fake?
Here are seven instant red flags you need to be able to spot:
The bio is missing that human touch
One of the first things that can indicate a catfish is if their profile just looks ‘blank’ and lacks that human touch. This includes things such as a bio, occupation, interests, and other basic information. However, often the ‘human control’ catfish will create almost a new identity to trick people into matching with them, therefore you may still need to be cautious.
Many people often connect their other social media accounts with their Tinder profile, so if you cannot find the person on Instagram or Facebook, this is a red flag.
No distance
Whilst this can be understandable that someone may not want to advertise a location for their own safety, the reason people will go on Tinder is to match with people in close proximity to them. With this in mind, no location is an instant red flag. This can show signs that you may be dealing with a bot or someone located overseas ready to scam you.
It is also important that, when meeting someone you have matched with, to meet in an area close to your home. It is not recommended to go any further than 15 miles out of your way the first time you are meeting someone.
‘Picture perfect’ profile pictures
If you have a feeling you recognise the person from somewhere else, whether it be another Tinder profile or a famous celebrity, and most of their pictures look extremely professional and unnatural, swipe left. It is likely the person behind the profile has ripped these pictures from the internet or somebody’s Instagram profile and copied their name and description into the bio.
Verification status
Recently, Tinder launched a new ID verification function to prevent catfishing, meaning global users will be prompted to verify their identity prior to interacting with others. Whilst it isn’t obligatory, it will help legitimate users prove they are the same person behind their pictures.
So, if somebody doesn’t have a blue verification tick next to their name, always be wary they may not be who they appear to be.
They only have one photo
Whilst this doesn’t always indicate a fake profile, if you only have one photo to judge of someone, this is usually a red flag. After all, you want to see them from different angles, right?
Top tip: If you can’t seem to work out whether the person in the picture is real, screenshot the image from the profile and put it Reverse Face Search in Google Images and see if you can find the face elsewhere.
Refusal to video chat
If you suggest it’s finally time to have a face-to-face chat and the person makes up an excuse like ‘their camera is broken’, this could be an indication they aren’t who they say they are. Although, it’s important to remember the person could just be extremely shy and not confident enough to chat over video call.
Refusal to meet in person
After a while, if it feels like the right time to meet up but the person refuses, this can be a sign they are a fake. If somebody is genuinely interested in getting to know you, they will go out of their way to meet up in person.
