Tinder verification will be rolling out in the US, UK, Brazil, and Mexico as the dating app seeks to tackle the growing problem of romance fraud …
Romance fraud
Romance scams, also known as romance fraud, are where criminals impersonate attractive people on dating services, contact victims, and gradually seek to draw them into a sense of forming a bond.
They will typically love-bomb victims, inundating them with attention and compliments, as they lure them in. They will often exchange multiple messages per day, until the victim feels they know the fake person.
Once trust is established, they will ask for money. This may be for air-fare to visit from another country, or a fake emergency which requires a short-term loan. That money goes to the criminal gangs behind such frauds, and the victim will never hear from them again.
Tinder verification
Dating app Tinder has long offered users the option of photo verification, in which subscribers are asked to send a short video which is then manually matched against their photos to ensure it’s a real person.
However, videos are now easily faked, and human moderators easily fooled, so the company has been testing a more robust verification option in New Zealand and Australia. This involves supplementing the video with an image of either their passport or driving licence, to verify their identity.
While this will remain optional, The Independent reports that the trials showed that it resulted in more matches, hopefully encouraging enough people to do it that it eventually becomes expected.
During its pilot scheme in Australia and New Zealand last year, Tinder said it saw a 67 per cent increase in matches for accounts that were verified compared to those that weren’t.
Rory Kozoll, senior vice president for product integrity at Tinder, said: “Giving users more confidence that their matches are authentic is one of the most valuable things we can do for our users. Safety is and remains a priority for us.
“We have released over 20 in-app safety features in the past few years as well as working with a number of partners, including leading NGOs, to promote safe dating. It drives our continued ambition to create a respectful and great experience for all.”
Bloomberg reports that the feature will roll out to four countries.
Tinder, the world’s most popular dating platform, is rolling out the system in the US, the UK, Brazil and Mexico over the coming weeks and months.
Photo by The Paris Photographer on Unsplash
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