Love will tear us apart: dating scammers hit 2.5m Brits

The search for love online is turning into financial heartbreak for many, according to a new study, amid claims that 2.5 million Brits who have tried Internet dating have been targeted by romance or phishing scams.

Research carried out by cybersecurity company NordVPN reveals that these rogue Romeos and scamming Juliets match with another user and then try to drain their bank account, either by dangling the promise of a romantic relationship or encouraging them to share personal details.

They are so effective that one in eight (12%) UK victims have been snared by these honeytraps. In fact, NordVPN’s study shows Brits who encountered an online romance scam lost an average of £4,622 each, while phishing fraud victims typically handed over £2,851 each.

The research also names Glasgow as the online dating capital of the UK, with more than half its residents (55%) either active on apps and websites, or having used them in the past. Runner-up in the romance stakes was London (44%), followed Bristol (43%), Brighton (41%) and Norwich (40%).

The problem of romance scams is so severe that earlier this month Match Group – owner of some of the biggest dating apps and sites, including Tinder, Hinge and OkCupid – launched a global safety campaign featuring tips to help its users spot swindles.

These included being wary of unverified accounts and matches that shifted the conversation to investments like cryptocurrencies, with the intention of luring them into a separate fraud.

As well as scams, the survey uncovered a range of bad behaviour and issues that people have to deal with when searching for a partner online.

Among those who had dated online, one in six (17%) said they had interacted with a fake account or bot, with the same proportion receiving indecent images they had not requested.

Having signed up to an online dating app or website, 16% reported receiving more spam emails, while one in eight (13%) said that they found it difficult to delete their account. Most worryingly, 7% of site users found themselves being stalked online.

Online safety and the security of user data were key concerns for many dating site users, with 37% believing their information should not be shared with third parties.

A third (33%) of those surveyed said dating apps did not do enough to verify users’ identities, while 35% felt the number of fake profiles or bot accounts on sites was growing.

About one in seven (15%) of respondents were worried that the data they had shared on apps and sites could lead them to be hacked, with 13% revealing they would only use dating apps where they could not receive unsolicited messages.

Meanwhile, one in ten (10%) admitted that The Tinder Swindler, last year’s high-profile Netflix documentary about the danger of romance scams had made them stop or want to stop dating online.

NordVPN cybersecurity expert Marijus Briedis said: “When dipping their toes into the dating world, millions of Brits prefer to do so online, often because it can feel safer and less nerve-wracking breaking the ice through an app or website than doing so in person.

“Yet our research shows that scammers are a growing threat on dating sites and apps — and primed to take advantage of users searching for love.

“The Match Group’s recent advice campaign is to be welcomed but there is a lot more that needs to be done to tackle the scourge of fake profiles and keep con artists at bay.

“Sadly, romance fraudsters like The Tinder Swindler are far from a rarity and users need to take measures to protect themselves from scams. Check the permissions on any dating app that you download to see what information the developers are allowed to share and consider using a VPN while online to improve your privacy.

“Be wary of sharing any personal information with new matches and take your time to make sure they have been verified by the site. Most online scammers are trying to deceive multiple users at once so will be looking to move the conversation on quickly. Stay patient and if they soon mention money or suggest visiting another site or messaging platform that’s a definite red flag.”