LINKEDIN – Match Group has joined forces with leading UK tech, telecom, and finance companies as part of Stop Scams UK's renewed commitment to tackling fraud. By supporting intelligence-sharing pilots and cross-sector data exchange, Match Group is focused on helping dating platforms detect and prevent scams before they reach users. The goal: stronger consumer protection, better coordination, and safer online experiences across the board.
Category: Scammer
Australia Introduces Safety Code for Dating Apps to Strengthen User Protections
THE GUARDIAN – Australia introduced a new voluntary code of conduct for dating apps on 1 April 2025 to improve user safety. The code requires platforms like Tinder, Bumble, Hinge, and others to strengthen their safety systems, enhance user reporting processes, cooperate more closely with law enforcement, and publish regular transparency reports. A new oversight body will monitor compliance and issue formal warnings or penalties if platforms fail to meet the standards. Although voluntary for now, the government has indicated that mandatory regulation could follow if safety outcomes do not improve.
by Catie McLeod & Alyx Gorman
See full article at The Guardian
Romance Scams in the UK up 20%
INFOSECURITY MAG – Romance scams in the UK rose 20% in Q1 2025, driven by the growing use of dating apps, according to Barclays. Average victim losses hit £8K, rising to £19K for those aged 61+. Men made up 60% of the victims. 12% of UK adults have been targeted or know someone who has. 76% of consumers want tech companies to do more to stop scams. Experts urge stronger identity checks and better fraud detection by both platforms and banks.
SeniorMatch Launches Selfie Liveness Verification to Combat Romance Scams
BUSINESSWIRE – SeniorMatch has introduced Selfie Liveness Verification, becoming the first over-50 dating platform to implement this anti-scam feature. The system uses real-time selfies and AI to verify users' identities, granting them a verified badge. A survey of 967 users found that 87% worry about fake profiles and 72% feel safer interacting with verified users. The feature deletes biometric data after use and aims to combat the rising threat of romance scams, which cost victims ~$3.1B in 2024, many of them over 50. Verification is encouraged for all users before messaging or engaging.
Romance Scam Prevention Act Targets Senior Fraud on Dating Apps
WGNS RADIO – The Romance Scam Prevention Act focuses on protecting seniors from financial fraud on dating apps by requiring platforms to notify users if they’ve interacted with a banned scammer. Older adults, especially widowed or divorced individuals, are frequent targets. In 2023, seniors in Tennessee lost $43M to such scams, contributing to a $1.3B national issue.
Survey: Most Dating App Users Want Age, Photos, and Location Verified
GLOBENEWSWIRE – A TransUnion report shows over 85% of dating app users want platforms to verify age, photos, and location to improve trust, as only half feel profiles match reality. Common complaints include misleading photos and fake ages, with 28% reporting catfishing and 21% targeted by scammers. Most users support background checks, with many willing to pay for them, highlighting a clear demand for stronger identity verification in online dating.
Professor Anthony Pratkanis – Deception, Scams, and Protecting Online Daters
LTR – Professor Anthony Pratkanis, a social psychologist at the University of California, Santa Cruz, discusses the psychology of influence and deception. From his extensive studies, he explains how scammers affect victims with customized manipulation strategies and how scams adapt according to individual behavior, especially on dating websites. Professor Pratkanis talks about educating people with specific, probing questions to prevent fraud and the harm of victim-blaming. He also gives insight into how life stressors and weaknesses at an individual level make individuals susceptible to scams, focusing on the need for targeted messaging and awareness to protect potential victims.
[**See the video here on Youtube**]
The January LTR was kindly sponsored by Dating Through Curiosity, RealMe, and Courtland Brooks
Steve Baker on the FTC’s ‘Click to Cancel’ Rule: What It Means for Online Dating and Consumer Protection
LTR – Steve Baker, former FTC director and fraud detection expert, discusses the evolution of trust and safety in online dating and the FTC’s new “Click to Cancel” rule. With 27 years at the FTC and 5 years at the Better Business Bureau, he has plenty to share about consumer fraud, deceptive subscription marketing, and the agency’s efforts to protect consumers from confusing auto-renewals and free trial scams. The new regulation, set to take effect on March 31, 2025, aims to provide simpler cancellations and impose more severe penalties for misleading claims, affecting businesses globally. Tune in as Baker breaks down its effects on online dating and consumer protection.
[**See the video here on Youtube**]
The January LTR was kindly sponsored by Dating Through Curiosity, RealMe, and Courtland Brooks
AI-Driven Romance Scams Surge as Deepfakes Flood Dating Apps
GLAMOUR – According to a new study, 75% of UK dating app users have encountered deepfake profiles. Earlier this year, a French woman went viral after being duped out of £700K by scammers who led her to believe she was in a romantic relationship with Brad Pitt. The technology is so advanced that perpetrators can create entirely original images. Deepfake images are unidentifiable by reverse image search, which is normally a good technique for detecting fraudsters. It's the dating apps that need to do more of the heavy lifting. Right now, fake profiles are being created in minutes, and it's left to those affected to seek out the truth or disprove the lie. Often, even if profiles are reported, the profiles remain live, allowing those behind the accounts to continue to deceive people for whatever purpose they choose.
AI Romance Scams Surge: 52% of Online Daters Targeted
BUSINESSWIRE – McAfee’s research highlights a surge in AI-driven romance scams, with 52% of online daters reporting financial or gift-related scams. 21% have been approached by fake celebrity accounts, with 33% losing money, averaging $1,985 per victim. AI-powered deception is rising, with 26% encountering AI chatbots posing as real people and 32% believing they could develop feelings for an AI companion.