February 16, 2023, 7:25 am | Read time: 7 minutes

The dating app Tinder facilitates quick and uncomplicated dates. When searching for the next flirt, the profile picture is key—it influences the user’s decision by 90 percent. If a suggested person is liked, the user can mark them. “It’s a match” is the phrase when the other person also likes them. Then contact is made, and the two can chat and perhaps exchange phone numbers. But beware: Many profiles are not real! Fake profiles are now a problem on many social media platforms, and some of these fake profiles are also hiding on Tinder. They usually aim to exploit app users.

Some profiles turn out to be subscription traps

Fake profiles on Tinder often involve female profiles used by criminals to lure mostly male victims into clicking a link. This link supposedly serves to verify their profile, as reported by the portal watchlist-internet.at. However, the link leads to a paid subscription that costs up to 50 euros per month.

Behind the fake profiles on Tinder are not necessarily real people, but so-called bots—robots that initially arrange a meeting with the victim during the conversation. Almost casually, they mention having had bad experiences in the past and ask the conversation partner to verify themselves via the designated link.

The link leads to various platforms that advertise free membership. There, you are prompted to enter your chat name, password, and email address. After clicking the “Start Now” button, you are asked to enter your credit card details. With the subsequent confirmation, you sign up for various memberships that cost between 37 and 50 euros per month. Therefore, caution is advised: Fake profiles on Tinder may hide costly subscriptions.

Since Tinder already offers the option to verify your profile, you should be skeptical of such requests from third parties, according to watchlist-internet.de. It is almost certainly a fake profile on Tinder, as individual users would never ask you to verify yourself. For those who have already fallen into the trap, the portal recommends not responding to any monetary demands.

Also read: How to find and delete your old internet profiles

Recognizing fake profiles on Tinder and others

You should carefully check who you want to connect with on Tinder. Is the new flirt perhaps too good to be true? Social media expert Bastian Scherbeck from the communications agency Kolle Rebbe GmbH has five tips on how users can easily recognize a fake profile on Tinder.

Tip 1: The profile is not filled out

Can’t find any additional information about occupation, hobbies, and/or interests? Tinder already doesn’t give its users much space to describe themselves. But if you find NO additional information besides a photo, this is often a sign of a fake profile on Tinder. If the profile’s bio also contains strange links (usually short URLs)—especially with a teaser (“If you want to know more about me, click here”)—it’s best to stay away!

Tip 2: The profile has only one photo

Only a single photo in the profile—and no information in the bio? Does this one photo also look professionally taken or even “photoshopped”? Then you are most likely dealing with a fake.

Tip 3: The profile responds super quickly to messages

You have a match, send them a message, and get a quick response. Dreamy? Not necessarily. If the response comes so quickly that you wonder how someone can type so fast, you might be dealing with a bot. This bot takes advantage of the moment to gather information that you wouldn’t otherwise share. Therefore, even if the temptation is great—it’s better to end a conversation too early than too late.

Tip 4: Your match wants to continue the conversation immediately on another channel

You’ve barely gotten to know your match, and they’re already asking for your phone number? Stay away—if you give it now, you’ll mostly receive spam messages and bot calls. An alternative: The conversation should continue directly on another, unfamiliar social network? Again, stay away! Someone is either trying to gather personal information or promote another social network.

Tip 5: The profile is too good to be true

At the end of the day, it often holds true: If the profile—from professional photos to the bio to the job—is absolutely amazing, sounding like the perfect partner—beware! While much is possible, how likely is it that this isn’t a fake? So, better stay away! Currently, this is often the case with profiles of heavily retouched Asian women. These are usually fakes. They build the conversation and eventually switch to financial topics.

More on the topic

**In Conversation With Thomas R. Köhler** Book Author: “Dating Apps Sabotage Our Search for Partners–and They Do It Deliberately!”

Commentary Opinion on “Facebook Verified”: “We’ve Given Up”

Is a fake profile on Tinder illegal?

The creation and use of fake profiles on Tinder or other social networks is prohibited according to the terms of use. Anyone who registers must do so with their real name, which can be assigned to a real person.

While the use of fake profiles is prohibited, the unauthorized use does not automatically lead to criminal proceedings. But beware: This only applies to pure fake profiles. Anyone who misappropriates another person’s identity or obliges users to paid subscriptions under a false name is definitely committing a crime.

Related: Plus, Gold, Platinum—the subscription models of Tinder compared

Why are there so many fake profiles on Tinder?

The motives behind a fake profile on Tinder vary. Some are just having fun, others suffer from a complex personality disorder. But there are also professional scammers. Cybercriminals try to lure those looking for a flirt to dubious sites with fake profiles. Here’s how their scheme works:

A profile on Facebook is controlled by a bot (computer program). The images used in the Tinder profile are all fake and only show attractive people. If you swipe right on such a profile on Tinder, the bot automatically starts a conversation in the open chat. After a few remarks, it quickly gets down to business. The bot invites you to play an online game with it or sends you another link to open. If the game or link is clicked, malware is directly loaded onto the computer, smartphone, or tablet.

How to protect your profile

Whether it’s a fake profile or not, you should never click on links sent via Tinder. Often, something other than what is expected is hidden behind them. If you value anonymity and still want to use the app, you can also create a Facebook profile specifically for Tinder, where only the relevant information is available.

For this, you should not create a fake profile with invented birth details and names, but a real profile with selected photos and fewer details and no personal likes. Once registration is complete, you should start registering on Tinder with the newly created profile so that the new Facebook profile can be linked to Tinder.