Social Media Safety 
D ating apps are incredibly exciting. They offer the chance to meet a new person, who you could build a romantic connection with. But many people have been scammed by others they match with on these apps.
There have been multiple reports of people matching with someone who seemed interested. Upon meeting, they’d go to a fancy restaurant or bar. The date claimed they had to step out and left the other person with a bill which was higher than expected. They never heard from the date again, leaving them feeling betrayed.
How Does the Dating App Scam Work
The dating app scam is an elaborate one in which multiple people participate. There’s the owner of an establishment such as a bar or restaurant, and in most cases a young woman, who collaborate. The latter is the one who executes the scam on leading dating apps.
She will create a profile on the apps, which seems genuine. Once her profile is established, she matches with a man and strikes up conversation. She will express eagerness to meet, on the same day or the next. The man thinks this woman is actually interested in him and agrees.
The woman then says that she only wants to meet at a specific restaurant. So, they both arrive at this place. At first, everything is going fine. Seems like a normal date, with both people getting to know each other. But gradually the girl orders several expensive drinks.
Soon the restaurant brings a heavily inflated bill, which tends to be around ₹20,000. The girl will either say she must step out for an emergency right before, or she will say that she can’t pay now and requests the man to settle it. The staff of the restaurant intimidate him into paying if he protests. Wanting to avoid trouble, the man usually pays the amount. By this time, he has already been blocked by the girl. An experience like this would erode anybody’s trust.
Red Flags to Look Out For
- Wants To Meet Immediately. The scammer feigns eagerness to meet right after matching, which their victim mistakes as interest. In general, people will not want to meet so soon after you match with them on a dating app. They’ll want to get to know you a little better and then decide whether they will go ahead.
- Only Wants to Meet at A Certain Restaurant. If a person insists on meeting at the restaurant they mention and nowhere else, it’s clear that both are in league with each other. A genuine person on a dating app will consider their match’s opinions as well and even ask for their suggestions.
- Conversation That Seems Rehearsed. Most scammers follow certain scripts. Dating apps are no exception. The person will always follow a template and will seem rushed in their conversation. Part of the joy of dating apps is having interesting conversations and getting to know the other person. If they’re not talking about themselves, their lives, etc. upon asking, it’s a huge red flag.
How To Keep Yourself Safe
- Wait a Few Days Before Meeting Anyone. Get to know the person a little better. Tell them you’d like to meet a week later. A genuine match will understand and will be happy to accommodate. If they are pushy about meeting immediately, they are most certainly a scammer and should be unmatched.
- Discuss Different Meeting Options. Don’t agree to the first option the person you match with gives you. Propose some alternatives. If they aren’t willing to consider them and are hellbent on the place they have in mind, don’t bother.
- Read The Reviews of All Restaurants Carefully. It is likely that restaurants that take part in this scam are doing it frequently. Other people are likely to have given reviews sharing their experience. Look through all of them carefully, as many establishments have fake positive reviews to seem legitimate.
- Only Go on Dates to Reputed Cafes or Restaurants. The establishments conducting this scam are not well known. They will have strange names and are often in situated near a metro station. A well-established café or restaurant has customer loyalty and would never risk their reputation by conducting such a scam.
Having awareness of this scam is important before using dating apps. Once you are fully aware, you can easily spot suspicious individuals. You’ll be able to avoid this horrible scam and hopefully will match with someone you click with.
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