Swipe left on dating app scams
For many Utah State University students, love stays in the air even after Valentine’s Day.
This means dating — and in many cases, online dating — is a year-round pursuit. Though online dating can be fun and exciting as it comes with the potential of meeting a special someone, it can also be a dangerous activity.
And between the hundreds of dating apps available like Tinder, Bumble, Plenty of Fish, Hinge, Match and Mutual, it can be overwhelming.
According to information on backgroundchecks.org, 10% of online dating profiles have been set up by scammers, and 10% of sex offenders use online dating.
Camden Gowans, a USU student, said he was scammed on Tinder.
“I definitely found my friend’s pictures on a Tinder profile,” Gowans said. “I knew the girl, and I’m like, ‘That is not her name.’”
Gowans let his friend know that her pictures were being used on a Tinder account that didn’t belong to her and eventually reported the account to get it removed.
“She was like, ‘Heck yeah!’ My Instagram pictures are good enough to catfish on Tinder, so that’s at least a good sign.’” Gowans said.
He also gave advice to USU students who use online dating.
“Don’t go out with anybody if they want to meet alone in some random place, always meet in public,” he said.
While Gowans’ friend was able to put a positive spin on their experience, many who run into scams end up in much less fortunate situations.
An article posted by the antivirus software company Norton claims that online dating scams stole a collective $304 million in 2020.
Gregory Caldwell, a frequent user of online dating platforms looking for something serious, is no stranger to scammers. In his experience, he’s found dating profiles of potential partners that seem too good to be true, are geographically far from him, and who offer to meet over Skype without ever following through on their word.
Norton said asking for money, having an all-too-perfect profile, claiming to be far away, breaking plans to meet in person, or moving a relationship along too fast are all scam signs.
Just looking for these signs, however, isn’t always enough to keep people safe or stop them from meeting someone who could be dangerous.
Zara Ryan, another USU student, said she is picky with who she chooses to go out with, which helps to ensure she doesn’t meet with anyone unsafe who she’s met online.
Still, she has a system with her roommates which allows them to help one another if anything dangerous ever happens on a date.
“Whenever me or any of the girls that I live with will go out on a date, we’ll always send each other our location so that we’re safe and they know where I’m at or I know where they’re at just in case anything happens,” Ryan said.
In addition to sharing locations, Ryan and her friends also have a subtle way to ask one another for help when on a date that makes them feel uncomfortable.
The person on the date will send a text with a predetermined emoji to the others, and they will call with sudden urgent news that necessitates the immediate end of the date.
Ryan also looks through the social media accounts of those who she meets while online dating, and recommends that others do the same.
-Brock.Marchant@usu.edu
Featured photo by: Paige Johnson