Match Group, the parent company behind dating app Tinder, Hinge, Match, Plenty of Fish, Meetic and OurTime as well as others, today announced the start of a new campaign, which will feature in-app messages and emails to provide users with tips about how to stay away from being fraudulent on the internet.
Tinder and French dating site Meetic will notify users via messages on the app with advice and the most common pitfalls to look for. Tips include ensuring that prospective matches have their profile photo authenticated, video chat with them prior to making contact in person, and gaining knowledge of how to spot warning signs.
In the meantime, Match, Hinge, Plenty of Fish and OurTime will be sending out messages and email notifications to users who have the same scam-related information. From today, the worldwide public awareness campaign will be rolling out to fifteen countries including those from the United States, Canada, the U.K., India, Australia, Japan, Germany, France, Spain and Italy. The campaign will continue throughout the month of January however, Match Group told TechCrunch it will keep pushing the messages out periodically to users.
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“Scammers typically use the game of long distances,” Buddy Loomis, director for Law Enforcement Operations and Investigations at Match Group told TechCrunch. “They seek to win the victim’s trust and confidence as well as spend lots of time with them , talking back and forth…that’s the way scammers establish an emotional connection with their victim and ensure they feel safe. They’ll then ask for cash for an uninvolved child’s medical bill or visa, or even a flight ticket.”
Another alarm is when scammers try to talk to users on third-party platforms. This usually implies they’re trying to talk using an app that’s not so well-regulated. Match Group recently launched a feature on its apps, which sends users a pop-up message with safety advice if certain words are spotted within the chat.
