Harris says it’s a good idea to also send your friend a screenshot of your date’s profile so that they not only know where you are but who you are with. Until you’ve had an in-person date, Harris recommends communicating only on the app or getting a free phone number from Google. It’s best practice to use a different name or only your first name, he adds, so that scammers can’t easily find out details about your life. The majority of romance fraud victims that the group represents are 50 and older, and incur an average financial loss of $275,800. The study found evidence that assaults that were facilitated via a dating app were also much more violent, among other things.
About The 2025 Norton Cyber Safety Insights Report: Online Dating
“It is recommended to not recycle photos that are used on different apps like social media or LinkedIn”, said Gaffney. “A simple reverse image search can bring up any relevant accounts, some of which may hold additional information you didn’t want to disclose on your dating profile. The same goes for using a shared email address – consider making a new one specifically for your dating profiles”.
Staying safe while navigating this digital landscape requires a combination of awareness, preparation, and vigilance. Whether you’re new to dating apps or a seasoned user, these safety tips will help you protect yourself while enjoying the journey of finding meaningful connections. Respondents who say online dating’s effect has been mostly positive or mostly negative were asked to explain in their own words why they felt this way. Some of the most common reasons provided by those who believe online dating has had a positive effect focus on its ability to expand people’s dating pools and to allow people to evaluate someone before agreeing to meet in person. These users also believe dating sites and apps generally make the process of dating easier.
The margin of sampling error for the full sample is plus or minus 2.1 percentage points. Americans – regardless of whether they have personally used online dating services or not – also weighed in on the virtues and pitfalls of online dating. Some 22% of Americans say online dating sites and apps have had a mostly positive effect on dating and relationships, while a similar proportion (26%) believe their effect has been mostly negative. Still, the largest share of adults – 50% – say online dating has had neither a positive nor negative effect on dating and relationships.
If You’re Looking For Love Online, Here’s What To Know About Dating App Safety
If you complain to the customer service team, you’ll find they are fake too. Most dating apps offer built-in messaging systems, which are designed to protect users’ personal information. Take advantage of these features and avoid moving conversations to text, email, or social media until you’re sure about the person’s authenticity.
If you have friends who are dating online, ask them which platforms they’ve used and what they think of them in terms of safety, says certified sex therapist Shadeen Francis. We’ve all heard horror stories about online romance scams and the damage they can inflict. 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.
Still, about four-in-ten online daters (42%) describe their personal experience with dating sites or apps as at least somewhat recently updated TheLuckyDate review negative. Other incidents highlight how dating sites or apps can become a venue for bothersome or harassing behavior – especially for women under the age of 35. From personal ads that began appearing in publications around the 1700s to videocassette dating services that sprang up decades ago, the platforms people use to seek out romantic partners have evolved throughout history. This evolution has continued with the rise of online dating sites and mobile apps. In short, make sure you take your time when getting to know someone online. Chatting over a dating app or email can give you a sense that you’ve know the person for a lot longer than you have, and this can create a premature sense of trust.
And if you question them too much, they’ll disappear and delete their accounts. In this scam, the fraudsters build a long-term relationship with their mark. As they get to know each other, the scammer will start talking about their interest in cryptocurrencies. Eventually, they’ll offer to “guide” the victim in their own investments.
A Pew Research Center study in 2020 showed that many women experience some form of harassment on dating sites and apps. 57% of women online daters aged 18 to 34 said they had received sexually explicit messages or images they hadn’t asked for. In the same study, 19% of women aged between 18 and 34 reported threats of physical harm. There has been a spate of fake dating sites and scam dating apps, so much so that in 2022, the Better Business Bureau in the US issued a warning about them. Fake dating sites can be hard to detect and people usually find them through online ads or search engine results. However, most profiles on these counterfeit sites are fake, and replying to them usually costs you money.
You’d meet a potential suitor by happenstance (or be introduced by a friend), then exchange numbers and talk on the phone. In reality, they’re trying to hack one of your accounts — such as your email, banking, or social media — and want you to give them your own 2FA code. They’ll claim to be dealing with banking issues because they’re overseas but promise to pay you back.
They may also say they’re in the military and stationed in another country. The study was conducted online within the United States by Dynata on behalf of Gen from December 5th to December 16th, 2024, among 1,001 adults ages 18 and older. Data are weighted where necessary by age, gender and region, to be nationally representative. “The detectives on the case enlightened me that often women who are attacked had a gut feeling that they were unsafe but didn’t listen,” she says.
Plus, if the worst happens, you have access to 24/7 Fraud Resolution Specialists and are covered by a $1,000,000 insurance policy for eligible losses due to identity theft. At best, you’ll only waste your time and a bit of money on these sites. However, some fake dating sites are loaded full of malware, which can infect your devices. To sign up, you’ll often need to pay a fee and provide personal details or even photos of your ID for verification (which can be used for identity theft). With even a few pieces of sensitive data, scammers can empty your bank account, take out loans and credit cards in your name, or even steal your tax refund.
The Unexpected Dangers Of Online Dating 11 Scams To Know
If your date suggests something that sounds off and you feel uncomfortable, trust your instincts. Offering an alternative that you feel happy with is a good gauge, and if they don’t budge, cease contact. That way, not only will it be much lighter out, you can be sure there’ll be more people around wherever you are.
- Online dating can be safe if you follow basic precautions and stay alert for red flags.
- Since its birth two decades ago, people often ask the question “is online dating safe?
- You’d meet a potential suitor by happenstance (or be introduced by a friend), then exchange numbers and talk on the phone.
- Some scammers try to push victims into signing up for bogus online dating sites.
“If you weren’t a wine drinker, for example, and you were interested in drinking some wine for the first time, maybe you would ask somebody else what their experience was”, explained Emm. “You’d say to a friend, “Look have you got any experience with this? One of the most high-profile privacy lawsuits involves Grindr, which is being sued for allegedly illegally sharing sensitive user information (without their consent) with third parties. The financial impact of these scams can be large, with the median amount of losses per victim clocking in at $2,000. Along similar lines, relationship coach Stella Harris says to keep your information general, not specific.
And always be on the lookout for the warning signs of typical online dating scams. Unfortunately, dating platforms don’t do a good job of verifying individual accounts. Even though many websites ask for your Facebook account, that’s a trivial workaround for many online scammers. In this guide, we’ll cover the dangers of online dating, how to spot a romance scammer, and the most common online dating scams and how you can avoid them.
Bumble’s security measures are by far the most extensive, encouraging users to report the match if you meet in person and feel “unsafe or uncomfortable,” or if you see someone who you know is dangerous offline. For added protection, consider signing up for Aura’s all-in-one digital security solution. Aura protects you from identity theft, financial fraud, and viruses like malware.
Eharmony is our No. 1 choice for safe online dating because of its state-of-the-art ID verification and video dating software that allows you to virtually vet your potential matches before you meet up in person. Online daters widely believe that dishonesty is a pervasive issue on these platforms. A clear majority of online daters (71%) say it is very common for people on these platforms to lie about themselves to appear more desirable, while another 25% think it is somewhat common. Only 3% of online daters think this is not a common occurrence on dating platforms. “Every day, people leave streams of information about themselves online without considering the risks of their digital footprint”, warned Samani.
Be very careful about doing any favors or trusting a match too much at first if you haven’t even met them in real life. If they start talking about money, needing help, or having some kind of medical emergency, you should take that as a red flag. Cryptocurrency investments are one of the more recent (and dangerous) online dating scams. Everywhere from the New York Times to USA Today has shared stories of victims losing thousands to crypto dating scams. In most cases, these money scams take place on sites like match.com where most people are looking for a long-term relationship. The scammer will gain your trust and then ask you to help with an unexpected emergency, for example, medical expenses, needing to take care of a relative, etc.
“Dating scams are some of the most common sorts of spam preying on the pursuits of romance”, explained Gaffney. “The key to avoiding such scams is awareness – you need to know what you are looking for. Read up on what the most common scams are that are prevalent at the time and keep in mind that scammers are people pleasers; more often than not if it’s too good to be true, it probably is and it’s best to stay well clear”. But it’s also important to note that Statista data from a 2022 survey shows that the majority of adults ages feel that it’s safe to meet people online (those in older age groups are more likely to feel unsafe).
ABOUT PEW RESEARCH CENTER Pew Research Center is a nonpartisan, nonadvocacy fact tank that informs the public about the issues, attitudes and trends shaping the world. The Center conducts public opinion polling, demographic research, computational social science research and other data-driven research. Pew Research Center is a subsidiary of The Pew Charitable Trusts, its primary funder.