Advice

The FBI has issued a new warning for dating app users about a scam that involves “verification,” which raises more problems for the platforms as they roll out new safety features.

Scammers have been targeting people signing up for dating apps by asking people they match with to verify their identity “for safety reasons.” They share links to websites to get them off the platform, where they can steal the victim’s money and private data, such as credit card information.

The fake website looks real to users, displaying “fake articles alluding to the legitimacy of the website,” according to the FBI’s announcement. The verification website prompts the victim to provide their name, phone number, email address, and credit card number to “complete the process.” When the victim submits the information, they are led to another dating website charging monthly subscription fees.

A new report on dating app security found that a majority of 70 percent of dating app users had been scammed on one of the dating platforms.

According to Newsweek, the study surveyed people who had used dating apps over the past three years, and 93 percent said they would go back to using the apps, even those who said they were scammed or had their information stolen.

When users sign up for these platforms, their personal information, even social security numbers, become vulnerable to scammers. Sixty-nine percent of those surveyed said they were asked to verify their identity on a dating app and 65 percent said they’d provided their social security numbers.

A new study by OnePoll/ Forbes Health found that a whopping 70 percent of individuals who met someone on a dating app said it led to a romantic, exclusive relationship, compared to only 28 percent who said it did not.

The study comes as interest in dating apps has started to decline, in part due to the perception that dating app users feel they can’t find a long-term partner this way. Gen Z, the youngest market and the biggest demographic for dating app companies, have begun to look for alternatives to dating apps to meet people.

Millennials and Gen Xers feel differently. In fact, people between 43 and 58 years of age found the most success on dating apps, with 72 percent saying that meeting on a dating app led to a romantic relationship, according to Forbes.

Tinder has just launched a new online course in partnership with youth platform Yuvaa to educate young daters on consent.

The 90-minute self-learning course entitled “Let’s Talk Consent” will be available for free on the Coursera platform, and is intended to be a resource for young adults in India to learn about interpersonal consent.

According to CNBC, there are five main topics in the course: “understanding consent in personal relationships, setting and enforcing personal boundaries, recognizing signs of healthy and unhealthy relationships via red, green and gray flags, and navigating online and offline interactions with safety and respect.”

Dating app BLK has launched a new ad campaign in support of black women, encouraging them to be their “authentic selves.”

The “New Year, Real You: #RealNotPerfect” campaign launched in January. The ad was created by Arxna in conjunction with BLK’s in-house marketing team, according to Black Enterprise magazine. The campaign is meant to encourage black women to be their authentic selves in all areas of their lives - professional, educational, and in their personal/ dating lives.

BLK also intends the campaign to challenge societal expectations and to create a “safe space” for black women to express themselves without fear of judgment, according to Black Enterprise.

Clean Slating is the newest dating trend in India to kick off 2024, at least according to dating app Bumble.

The term refers to letting go of past relationships and baggage that you no longer want to hold onto, and starting the year on a clean slate, according to The Deccan Chronicle.

According to the nationwide study, an overwhelming 71 percent of Indians said they are starting the new year on a clean slate, leaving the past behind. Bumble’s findings also revealed that 70 percent of respondents feel that making peace with exes and past relationships going into 2024 gives them a fresh start. Sixty-nine percent say that it will “open them up to new experiences and people,” and 67 percent said it will allow them deeper connections, according to the Chronicle.