INSIDER – The hit Netflix documentary "The Tinder Swindler," raised awareness about dating app scams, also called romance scams. Romance scam victims lost $1.3B total in the past 5 years, according to the FTC. In January, a man in Denver lost $1.6M after a Hinge match told him to invest it into a retirement account. Another woman gave a Hinge match her $300K in life savings to invest into a cryptocurrency exchange site that turned out to be fake. There are ways to preemptively protect yourself from identity theft and financial fraud, Mark Kapczynski, SVP of strategic partnerships at cybersecurity service OneRep. He suggested removing personal information from Google searches. Even if a dating-app match only has your first name, general location, and picture, they can still track you down with a quick internet search, said Kapczynski. "There are 150 or 200 sites that will have your personal information on them. Google your date and do a reverse-image search. Last, he said look out for certain behaviors, like intense persistence, or asking for money or to meet in a remote location.
Category: Reporters – Julia Naftulin
More People Are Having Virtual Affairs as Covid-19 Pandemic Wears On
BUSINESS INSIDER – July 15 – Coronavirus pandemic-related stress is a risk factor that could drive people to cheat, according to two University of Tennessee Knoxville psychologists. Kristina Coop Gordon and Erica A. Mitchell said pandemic-related stress is straining relationships, driving people onto dating apps. According to data Gordon and Mitchell obtained from a dating site for married people (they didn't disclose which site), 17K new people have signed up for the services every day during the pandemic. This compares to the 1,500 daily new member sign-ups in 2019.
The Coronavirus Is Turning up on Dating Apps
Facebook Has Blocked Ads From a Queer and Polyamorous Dating App #Open
INSIDER – Feb 15 – Facebook said this was due to the advertisements' focus on sex, and said the app does not "reflect the global audience on our platform" because it allows for group relationships and hook-ups. In response, #open founder Amanda Wilson started a petition on Change.org (over 900 people have signed so far), asking the platform to "stop censoring and devaluing my relationship and the relationships of millions of other people looking for casual dates or interested in alternative relationship styles."
A Fake Amazon Dating App Is Going Viral
INSIDER.COM – Feb 5 – A group of content creators, with an animation company Thinko, created Amazon Dating, a satirical dating platform where people can fake-purchase their dream date. The website looks just like Amazon. Every person who's "for sale" comes with a price, reviews, a bulleted description of hobbies, and a drop down to choose how tall people want them to be. Although Thinko noted that Amazon Dating was a joke, some viewers didn't like that they monetized humans at different prices.
Dating Apps Are Turning to Message-free Meetups
Facebook Dating Has Features That May Enable Cheaters
INSIDER – Sep 10 – Paul Keable, the chief strategy officer at Ashley Madison, sees Facebook Dating, as well as other dating platforms like Tinder and Bumble, as competition for his service. The app duplicates Facebook profile but removes users existing relationship status, meaning, like any dating app, users could easily join behind their partner's back. Additionally, Facebook Dating doesn't match people with any of their existing Facebook friends, meaning there's a lower risk than with some other dating apps that they could get caught by their partner's single friends who are also on the app.
by Julia Naftulin
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