Ah, Valentine’s Day. The season of love, chocolates, and… cybercrime? Yeah, that’s right, gals. While you’re swiping right in search of your soulmate, scammers are swiping left on your bank account. As Australian’s gear up for the most romantic day of the year, online dating platforms are buzzing with activity—and not all of it is Cupid-approved.
According to Adrianus Warmenhoven, a cybersecurity expert at NordVPN, the dark web is having a field day with romance scams. In February 2024, searches for “romance” on the dark web more than doubled, skyrocketing by 138%. Meanwhile, “Tinder” saw an 83% increase in searches, and “dating” got a modest 5% bump. It seems cybercriminals are more excited about Valentine’s Day than your average florist. But before you throw your phone into the nearest body of water and swear off love forever, let’s break this down with a mix of humour and hard truths. After all, to quote Pat Benatar, love is a battlefield, and your data is the prize. Your data is the new love language of scammers!
Dating apps like Tinder, Bumble, and Hinge aren’t just collecting your preferences for long walks on the beach and pineapple on pizza (yes, that’s still a debate). They’re also tracking your financial transactions. That’s right, your dating profile might know more about your spending habits than your accountant. NordVPN’s research reveals that some apps gather sensitive financial and purchasing data, which, in the wrong hands, could lead to identity theft or worse the clearing out of your bank accounts! Imagine explaining to your bank that your ex wasn’t just emotionally unavailable but also a cybercriminal. Awks…!
The lesson here? Treat your financial data like your heart, guard it carefully and don’t give it away too soon.
But hang on a minute, if you thought catfishing was bad, wait until you meet its tech-savvy cousin, AI-powered romance scams. These scams have reached new levels of sophistication, with cybercriminals using artificial intelligence to create fake profiles, manipulate emotions, and even impersonate celebrities.
Take the case of “Anne,” a French interior decorator who was swindled out of 830,000 EUROS by someone pretending to be Brad Pitt and his mother. Yes, you read that correctly. BRAD. PITT. And his mother. Now, we LISTEN and we don’t JUDGE…but that is nearly 1.5 million Aussies dollar bucks, where were her friends to talk her out of this! If that doesn’t make you double-check your matches, I don’t know what will. Also, we don’t mean to be pessimistic but if it sounds too good to be true, it usually is!
The rise of AI means scammers can now craft convincing personas, complete with deepfake videos and eerily accurate chatbots. It’s like Black Mirror, but with worse dialogue. It is hard to spot the fake with the naked eye these days…
Ok, so, how do you protect yourself from becoming a statistic of online dating disasters? Here are a few tips we put together in the SheSociety office.
- Beware of the sob story, if your match starts talking about their sick grandmother or their sudden financial crisis within the first week of chatting, it’s time to unmatch. Real love doesn’t come with a GoFundMe link.
- Verify, don’t trust. Now this is extreme but, you can never be too careful, use reverse image search tools to check if their profile picture is stolen from a stock photo website or, worse, a random influencer’s Instagram. Actually, go one better…get your friend who has the best detective skills to do their thing… Let’s face it, women are the best detectives from watching years of Law & Order SVU…dun dun…!
- Keep your wallet closed no matter how charming they are. Never send money to someone you’ve never met in person. If they’re really into you, they’ll settle for a heartfelt Spotify playlist instead.
- Guard your personal info like your address, workplace. Even your favourite coffee shop can be used against you. Save the oversharing for your third date (or your therapist).
Dating apps aren’t going anywhere, and neither are scammers. But that doesn’t mean you have to give up on finding love online. By staying vigilant and prioritising your privacy, you can navigate the digital dating world without becoming a cautionary tale.
This Valentine’s Day, remember that while love may be blind, your online behaviour shouldn’t be. Swipe wisely, protect your data, and if someone claims to be Brad Pitt’s mum, run.
And hey, if all else fails, like Bridget Jones taught us, there’s always Chaka Khan and Vodka! At least neither of them will ask for your credit card details.
Stay safe, stay skeptical, and may your Valentine’s Day be scam-free!
When Amanda walks into a room you will most probably hear her before you see her and then when you see her you will understand why she is Larger Than Life! Commentating on life around her as a larger gal, Amanda always looks at the funny side of life and will always stir the pot or ask the questions no one wants to answer…
