1 out of 4 Users of Dating Platforms Report Being Scammed
Author: Jorij
Every year as Valentine’s Day approaches, many singles reflect on their relationship status and try to look for love. A significant portion of these people will end up searching for companionship or love online. As of 2020, there were estimated to be more than 270 million dating app users globally. ScamAdviser conducted a survey that reveals that a shockingly large number of users of dating sites and apps end up falling victim to various scams.
25% of the participants lost money in a dating scam
1,829 participants from 140 countries answered the survey, mainly single, young (18-35) and male. A staggering 25% of them reported having lost money in a dating scam. The median amount lost was $200 and the highest amount lost was over $1.2 million. Men lose on average three times as much as women. The most named dating scams are extortion scams, investment scams, fake profiles and unexpected requests for money.
On average, participants used 3 different dating sites or apps
The participants report having used 3 dating sites or apps on average within the last 12 months. The fact that the menace of dating scams is widespread throughout the entire online dating app landscape is brought to light as the number of different dating sites and apps named was huge. No single dating app or social media channel was named more than 5 times by the participants. It seems that there is no dating platform that is free from the risk of getting scammed.
Most participants are only moderately happy with their online dating experience
31% of the participants reported being unhappy with their online dating experience, while 32% said that they are moderately happy. 12% were happy and 25% were very happy.
Surprisingly, the Corona pandemic did not have a huge effect on the use of dating sites and apps according to the participants. 36% reported using dating apps less while the same percentage stated using dating sites more.
Do men get scammed for sex; women for love?
42% of the participants visit dating sites with one reason in mind. The prejudice that men date for sex and women for love is not entirely true. 58% of the participants have several goals in mind when dating online, looking for company is the most named reason, closely followed by a search for sex, data or life partner.
27% of the participants reported being confronted with fake profiles
The most named problem was that many of the profiles on dating sites are fake with 27% of the participants saying that they encountered fake profiles. The second most listed issue was that they unexpectedly had to pay money to contact or chat. 40% did not encounter any issues.
37% did not report the scam at all
While only 7% of all scams are reported, this is not the case for Romance scams. More than a third of online dating scams went unreported. The victims did not inform any parties, such as the dating site or app, the bank, law enforcement, consumer protection organizations or online review websites. Those who did report the scam reported it mainly to the dating site or app or to the social media platform used. 77% reported the scam to multiple parties.
Report a Scam!
Have you fallen for a hoax, bought a fake product? Report the site and warn others!
Scam Categories
Help & Info
Popular Stories
As the influence of the internet rises, so does the prevalence of online scams. There are fraudsters making all kinds of claims to trap victims online - from fake investment opportunities to online stores - and the internet allows them to operate from any part of the world with anonymity. The ability to spot online scams is an important skill to have as the virtual world is increasingly becoming a part of every facet of our lives. The below tips will help you identify the signs which can indicate that a website could be a scam. Common Sense: Too Good To Be True When looking for goods online, a great deal can be very enticing. A Gucci bag or a new iPhone for half the price? Who wouldn’t want to grab such a deal? Scammers know this too and try to take advantage of the fact. If an online deal looks too good to be true, think twice and double-check things. The easiest way to do this is to simply check out the same product at competing websites (that you trust). If the difference in prices is huge, it might be better to double-check the rest of the website. Check Out the Social Media Links Social media is a core part of ecommerce businesses these days and consumers often expect online shops to have a social media presence. Scammers know this and often insert logos of social media sites on their websites. Scratching beneath the surface often reveals this fu
So the worst has come to pass - you realise you parted with your money too fast, and the site you used was a scam - what now? Well first of all, don’t despair!! If you think you have been scammed, the first port of call when having an issue is to simply ask for a refund. This is the first and easiest step to determine whether you are dealing with a genuine company or scammers. Sadly, getting your money back from a scammer is not as simple as just asking. If you are indeed dealing with scammers, the procedure (and chance) of getting your money back varies depending on the payment method you used. PayPal Debit card/Credit card Bank transfer Wire transfer Google Pay Bitcoin PayPal If you used PayPal, you have a strong chance of getting your money back if you were scammed. On their website, you can file a dispute within 180 calendar days of your purchase. Conditions to file a dispute: The simplest situation is that you ordered from an online store and it has not arrived. In this case this is what PayPal states: "If your order never shows up and the seller can't provide proof of shipment or delivery, you'll get a full refund. It's that simple." The scammer has sent you a completely different item. For example, you ordered a PlayStation 4, but instead received only a Playstation controller. The condition of the item was misrepresented on the product page. This could be the