More and more people are turning to online matchmaking sites to find their true love. Studies estimate that more than 25 million Americans would use a dating app at least monthly during 2019.
However, digital platforms like dating apps also provide a breeding ground for falsifying identities and impersonation. According to a Kaspersky report, 57% of people admit to providing some form of false information on their online dating profile. And this might be just the tip of the iceberg. More sinister activities like online scams and identity thefts have also grown in numbers on these platforms over the years.
While searching for your love matches online could be both fun and exciting, the prospects of an encounter with a malicious bot or a cybercriminal could be very daunting. However, there are important tools and techniques that you can follow to identify and guard against any fraudulent activities.
So, if you are planning on your own online matchmaking journey but feeling concerned, here are 4 proven steps to help you protect yourself and increase your chances of finding true love online.
1. Perform a self-background check
This is a useful first step before you sign up on a dating app. A self-background check can help you identify what information can be easily uncovered with the use of your basic personal details like your name and telephone number.
As much as you perform background searches and reverse lookups on your fellow dating app users, anyone who has access to your dating profile can do the same. Therefore, knowing beforehand how much of your personal details are freely available online for access can help you prepare and take necessary actions to remove excessive details and protect your privacy. You can use Google for a basic search while a people search site like Nuwber could be used to perform a more comprehensive reverse search using your name or phone number. These can help you to understand the depth of information publicly available on social media to public records.
Also be cautious of what you share on your social media profiles since these could reveal a surprising amount of personal data, from your group of closest friends to the local gym that you go for pilates. Adjust the privacy settings on your social media platforms, or better still think twice before you share your personal activities for the world to see.
2. Set up a safe dating profile
Safeguarding your security and privacy on dating apps needs to start from the profile set-up process since the details you share with the dating app might haunt you if you are not careful.
Never use your social media profiles or your Gmail account to sign up on dating apps and create a separate email address instead. This will prevent apps from accessing your personal data without your knowledge to help refine the matching process and of course for marketing activities. Also, set up a strong password to ensure your account safety against unauthorized access or hacking.
Avoid sharing your last name, date of birth, location, where you work or any other information that may help reveal your identity. Do not display links to your social media profiles, which could provide access to an unnecessary amount of your personal details to strangers. Be cautious about which photos you share and avoid those you have already uploaded on social media platforms or anywhere else online or offline. You will be surprised by the amount of details a reverse image search can reveal.
Also, check the data sharing and privacy policies of the dating app before you sign up and ensure that you adjust your privacy settings for maximum safety.
3. Carry out background checks
Carrying out a thorough background search will help you to guard against fake profiles and malicious bots from unknown sources. In fact, it’s not just criminals, even dating apps are reportedly creating fake profiles to mislead customers. This year, the Federal Trade Commission took legal action against the Match Group, the owner of the popular dating apps Match.com and Tinder, for alleged practices of sending messages to users from fake dating profiles.
So, once you get your recommended matches, select a profile that you find interesting. Carefully go through all the details and perform a background search to verify details and to get more insights.
A Google search and social media searches can help you verify and uncover basic details. If you have a full name, a phone number or an email address, you can get the help of a people search site to perform a reverse search. The amount of details these sites can uncover by using a single piece of information like a name or a phone number is quite remarkable, which is reason enough for their growing popularity. They also provide significant ease and convenience by eliminating the need to search on multiple platforms to uncover bits of information to connect the dots. Basic details are provided free by most people search sites, while more comprehensive reports can be accessed at a nominal fee. These can include a broad range of information from the details of neighbors and relatives to financial information and social media activities.
If the details provided on the dating profile is not sufficient for you to perform a reverse search, then use their profile image and perform a reverse image search on Google or a specialized website like Small SEO Tools to see what you can uncover.
4. Communicate safely
Once you start communicating with someone through your dating app, there are a number of steps that could help you to protect yourself and your privacy.
Limit messaging to the dating app’s messaging system as much as possible. Avoid sharing your personal phone number for voice calls to prevent your identity from being traced with a reverse search. Apps like Burner can help you obtain a temporary phone number for voice calls and texting.
Be guarded during conversations so as not to reveal too many identifiable details of yourself. Avoid discussing your family, friends, and workplace, do not share your social media profiles and keep conversations to general topics.
After all, while the urgency to get to know someone you find attractive might be undeniable, your safety and security should be your first priority.
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