(and How to Make Sure You Don’t)
“It will never happen to me,” you say, as you sign into the app you’ve just downloaded, swiping through a stream of profiles.
“It will never happen to me,” you say, as another story is published about an online dating scam that defrauded millions.
“It will never happen to me,” is what people say when they believe they are immune to something that affects even the most intelligent and cautious users online.
In reality, one thing about romance scams is true: they can happen to anyone. In fact, intelligent, well-educated people are often prime targets for those particular scammers. Scammers design their manipulation techniques for people who believe they are the exception.
The Uncomfortable Truth About Online Dating Scams
Fake profiles can increase activity on dating platforms, which can inflate perceived engagement.
Essentially: more profiles equal more revenue. It doesn’t matter how real those profiles are.
Romance scams reportedly stole $1.14 billion from online daters in 2023, while dating apps continue to generate billions in revenue. This highlights how widespread online scams have become across mainstream dating platforms.
As a result, dating scams continue to exist (and increase in number) across many platforms, making it easier for even smart users to encounter them. With these sites and apps doing nothing, those numbers double, and double again.
Why Do Smart People Fall for Scams?
It is easy to assume only careless people get scammed, but the facts show otherwise. Millions of people fall for scams every year, including highly educated professionals who are aware of these risks.
As Leonardo DiCaprio portrays in Catch Me If You Can, scammers do not succeed by being smarter. They succeed by understanding human psychology.
They often pose as trusted companies, banks, or potential romantic partners to build trust. Then they create urgency, claiming your account is at risk or that immediate action is required, which pushes people to act quickly.
Scammers exploit mental shortcuts. People naturally trust familiar names or respond to emotional stories. These instincts are helpful in everyday life, but scammers replicate them with fake emails, reviews, and profiles.
Emotions also play a role. Fear, excitement, and hope can cloud judgment and make it harder to think critically.
At the core, online scams work because they target human behaviour. Anyone can be vulnerable in the right situation, which is why awareness is the strongest defense.
How to Protect Yourself from Online Dating Scams
There are several ways to avoid online dating scams, starting with the platform you choose.
Here are key tips to stay safe:
Never Send Money: Never send money, cryptocurrency, or gift cards to someone you meet online.
Keep Communication On-Platform: Avoid moving to private messaging apps too quickly.
Verify Identity: Only use platforms that offer profile verification. Features like selfie verification and AI checks help confirm that users are real.
Stop Communicating: If something feels suspicious, stop communication immediately and report the profile.
Choose a Secure Dating Platform: The safest online dating experience starts with a platform that prioritises security and real users.
What Makes Seeking.com the Safest Dating Platform?
Seeking.com has introduced advanced, industry-defining measures designed to completely eliminate scams and fraudulent activity before those users can even join the platform.
And, they’ve succeeded.
Through AI selfie verification and identity checks, profile photos are matched to the real individuals behind them during sign up, in order to ensure that they are real. Verified users are clearly marked, helping others identify authentic profiles.
The platform has also taken steps to expose scam activity by identifying coordinated fraud attempts and preventing repeat offenders from creating new accounts, as well as from signing up in the first place. Seeking’s zero tolerance approach to fraud is what sets it apart in the online dating space; they chose to make the decision to put their user base first, cutting out the profiles that are anything but real, honest and serious about finding a partner.
Awareness Is the Best Protection Against Online Scams
Online dating scams are not a reflection of intelligence. They are a reflection of how effectively scammers use psychology.
Smart people fall for scams because they trust, because they move quickly, and because scammers are skilled at creating believable situations.
The key to avoiding online dating scams is awareness and prevention. Choose secure platforms, stay cautious with personal information, and trust your instincts when something feels off.
At the end of the day, staying safe online is not about being smarter than scammers. It is about recognising how they operate and making informed choices that protect you.
