Tinder scams: how to spot and avoid them

Tinder is one of the world’s most popular and widely used dating apps, serving more than 50 million users monthly across 190 countries. It has popularized the now-familiar “swipe” interface and made meeting new people online a fun and almost game-like process.

But the same qualities that make Tinder so popular also make it a frequent target of scammers: a high volume of users, anonymity, the ease of creating profiles, and high emotional stakes make people more susceptible to establishing trust quickly, often without verifying the person they’re speaking to.

Tinder is just one of the dating apps exploited this way. Dating and romance scams happen across online dating and social media platforms, with the total of $1.14 billion reportedly lost by their victims in 2023 alone.

Read this guide to educate yourself on the common types of Tinder scams, how to tell fake Tinder accounts from real ones, and what to do if you fall victim to a Tinder scammer.

Common Tinder scams and how they work

Scams on Tinder are inventive, but you can effectively protect yourself if you know what to watch out for. Browse the following typical Tinder scams and get smart tips on staying away from them.

Catfishing scams

Catfishing or romance scams is the largest and most varied category of Tinder scams. 

In catfishing, a scammer pretends to be someone they’re not and uses the developing online relationship to gain just enough trust before asking for money or defrauding their target in other ways, such as pushing them into fraudulent investment schemes.

Sometimes catfishing turns into a pig butchering scam, where the scammer plays a long game to build trust before convincing the victim to invest money in what appears to be a legitimate financial opportunity only to steal the money once it’s “invested.”

For example, a man in the UK was defrauded of £80,000 ($108,000) after following his Tinder date’s investment advice and using the platform she suggested. In another case, a 39-year-old Californian man was arrested in July 2025 for allegedly defrauding women across various dating sites, including Tinder, of a total of $2 million. The scammer posed as a successful investment manager and collected money from his victims in cash and through transfer services like Zelle and Cash Apps, without ever returning the promised investment profits.

Falling for a catfisher can lead to multiple serious consequences, including financial loss, emotional damage, and the risk of identity theft if the scammer gets hold of your personal data.

How to avoid this scam: Reverse-search the images used in your date’s profile, never send money to someone you haven’t met in person, and raise your guard whenever the person asks for money or promotes an investment scheme.

Fake Tinder profiles and bots

Tinder has many fake and automated accounts designed to lure victims into clicking malicious links or giving away personal information that can be exploited for scammers’ gain. 

Fake Tinder profiles are typically run manually, while Tinder bots are programmed and controlled by software, which is why they often sound robotic, repetitive, or outright weird. Profile photos on these profiles may look overly polished, staged, or resemble stock images. 

Right away, they might start pushing the conversation off the Tinder platform to some private messengers, urge you to click a link, download an app, or join them on another website. These links often lead to fake subscription services that quietly bill your credit card each month or direct you to malware-filled websites created to steal your credentials and data.

How to avoid this scam: Stop engaging if the conversation feels evasive, generic, or rushed. Don’t click any links your romantic interest shares early in a conversation.

Tinder verification code text scams

Scammers who may already have your Tinder credentials can target you further to harvest your Tinder verification code in a type of Tinder phone number scam. For this, they may approach you as a potential date but ask you to verify your identity by sharing a code sent to your phone before they can continue talking to you. In reality, they will trick you into giving them access to your Tinder account so they can take it over and impersonate you.

How to avoid this scam: Never share your verification code with anyone, even if it’s said to be for “safety.”

Tinder email scams

Phishing scams frequently target Tinder users, who receive all sorts of communication over email and text messages initiating Tinder notifications but designed to steal your valuable information. 

For example, scammers can send out fake “It’s a Match!” or “Someone Just Matched With You!” emails with a tempting call to action like “Find out who” so that you click the provided link. The link, however, will lead to a spoofed Tinder login page or fake Tinder verification page, prompting you to enter your account credentials or even credit card details, all of which will be stolen by scammers.

How to avoid this scam: Check Tinder notifications and updates directly in their official app and always make sure emails are sent from the official tinder.com domain.

Sugaring scams

A variation of fake Tinder profiles, sugaring scams involve scammers posing as “sugar daddies” or “sugar mommas” offering financial support in exchange for companionship. They promise large sums of money but first need you to send them a small “fee” or a gift card to “prove” your genuine interest in the relationship. Of course, once you send them the money or gift card, they will disappear. 

Someone may also pose as a sugar baby, targeting older individuals and asking for money upfront to fix their pressing financial problem. They will typically keep avoiding meeting up but continue their stream of money requests before disappearing for good. 

How to avoid this scam: Legitimate sugar daddies and sugar mommas don’t ask for upfront payments. Don’t send money to strangers on dating apps, especially before verifying their real identity and intention.

Blackmail scams

Some catfishing or sugaring scams may progress into blackmail scams if explicit photos or videos were shared with the scammer. Once they have this material, they threaten to share it with your family or friends online unless you pay. 

A variation of this is underage scams, where a scammer strikes up an online relationship with their target and starts sending intimate photos, sometimes unsolicited, then claiming to be underage. Soon the “relatives” or the “police” will start calling the victim, threatening legal action for sexual offense and demanding payment to settle the case. They use scare tactics and prey on shame and fear of retaliation to extort money.

How to avoid this scam: Never share explicit photos and videos with strangers on dating apps. If someone claims to be underage, check the age of consent in your location—in most cases, scammers get it wrong and their only goal is to pressure you into acting impulsively.

Venue promotion scams

Many people use Tinder for professional purposes, such as promoting their services or scouting job candidates. But venue promotion is a type of Tinder meetup scam where scammers enter into an agreement with a venue owner and use their Tinder dates to supply a stream of new customers, who are unaware of the scheme but end up paying a hefty bill at the end of the date.

Some promoter scams can take a criminal turn, like in a recent case where police cracked down on a gang in India that lured victims into New Delhi bars using fake profiles on Tinder and other dating apps, then forced them to pay exorbitant bills by the end of the night.

How to avoid this scam: Question why the person insists on meeting at a particular venue and suggest your own ideas for a meetup place. If the person is suspiciously inflexible, it’s a sign of a promoter scam.

How to tell if a Tinder profile is fake

Unfortunately, Tinder does have a lot of fake profiles, even though the platform regularly takes them down. There is no public Tinder scammer list either, so the only way to tell a fake profile from a legitimate one is to look out for the following red flags:

• Inconsistent or overly polished photos that might even look AI-generated. Try reverse-searching the images to see if they’re stolen from other websites.
  
• Vague or generic bios with copy-paste descriptions. 
  
• Love bombing, or declaring love or affection right away to rush the connection.
  
• Links to other sites or platforms, especially those used to “verify” your identity or move the conversation off Tinder.
  
• Refusal to video chat or voice call, using excuses like being too shy for the camera or having a broker phone camera.
  
• Reluctance to meet in person, out of fear of revealing their true identity.
  
• Odd language patterns that may betray a bot or an overseas scammer, such as stilted grammar, unusual wording, or replies that don’t match your questions. 
  
• Requests for money or financial support to rescue them from some dire situation. 
  
• Mentions of “lucrative” and “100% safe” investment schemes, often involving cryptocurrency.

Remember to verify your romantic interest’s identity, ideally in person, before establishing trust. Use a zero-trust approach and block anyone who raises suspicion.

How to protect yourself on Tinder

Safe practices can dramatically reduce your chances of falling for a Tinder scam. Use these precautions to keep your interactions safe and secure: 

• Keep conversations in the app. Moving elsewhere exposes you to potential WhatsApp scams or Telegram scams, which thrive in anonymous spaces with little to no scam protection.
  
• Verify identities before meeting up, even if it’s just through a quick video call. This will help filter out untrustworthy users who might be fake or impersonating others.
  
• Protect your money and personal details. Never share sensitive payment and identity details with anyone online, and don’t fall for urgent pleas for financial help from strangers on dating apps.
  
• Use Tinder’s built-in safety features, such as photo verification. Verified profiles display a blue checkmark, so it’s best to interact only with those who have it next to their name.
  
• Arrange safe first meetings. Choose a public place, share your plans with a friend, and consider using Tinder’s “Share My Date” feature to send details of your meetup to a trusted contact.
  
• Trust your instincts. Sometimes you can’t explain why, but you sense something is off. Always trust your gut, and if the person seems suspicious for any reason, stop your communication and move on.

What to do if you’ve been scammed on Tinder

If you fall for a Tinder scam, remember that prompt action can save you money and minimize your risk of further exposure to scams in the future. 

First, stop all communication with the scammer as soon as you realize it. This will help you avoid sharing more of your information and/or money with them.

Block and report the scammer to Tinder. The platform enables users to submit reports from the person’s profile or the Discovery section of the app, as well as to report confidentially via the online form detailing the scam and how it unfolded. When reporting, submit any relevant screenshots and details such as name, age, location, and profile photos.

Secure your accounts. Change your Tinder password and set up two-factor authentication, if you haven’t already.

Contact your bank or payment card provider if you shared your payment data or sent money to the scammer. They may be able to cancel the transaction and assist you with blocking your card so it can’t be misused.

Report the scam to the Federal Trade Commission if you’re in the U.S., or your local anti-scam government body in your country of your residence. While this doesn’t guarantee legal action against the scammer, it can help prevent them from harming others.

Turn to your local law enforcement agency. In some cases, it’s possible to recover funds lost in a Tinder scam by taking prompt action and involving law enforcement. For example, a victim of a dating scam in the UK managed to recover £200,000 ($271,000) he had been sending to a romance scammer over a few years.

FAQs

How can I report a scammer on Tinder?

You can report a scammer on Tinder by going to their profile, clicking the three-dot menu and tapping Report, or by filling in an online form with the scam details.

Can Tinder refund me if I was scammed?

Tinder doesn’t handle refunds for money sent to other users. For this, you’ll need to work with your bank or payment card provider.

How do I know if someone is a bot on Tinder?

Tinder bots often reply instantly with scripted or vague messages, share third-party links, and push you off the app to private messengers or other platforms.

What can a Tinder scammer do with my phone number?

Scammers with your phone number can target you with Tinder spam, phishing, and verification code scams to steal your account credentials, launch SIM-swapping attacks, look up more of your personal data on people-search websites, and attempt to impersonate you.