34% of Indians do not use dating apps because they are afraid of scammers, Kaspersky report reveals

Kaspersky has conducted a global survey where it asked people about dating apps and their experiences with it. According to the survey results, most people do not use dating apps because they are scared of scammers. Particularly, 34% of Indian respondents said that they are afraid to use dating apps, as they fear being deceived by fraudsters. 43% also said that they generally do not trust people on dating apps. On the other hand, only 27% of the survey respondents said that they were actually targeted by cybercriminals and 36% said that they were contacted by scammers but managed to avoid getting attacked.

While dating apps are a great way to meet new people, but like any other social networking app, there are always chances of coming across scammers and fraudsters. Many people have also met people on dating apps who have attempted to dupe them into giving them money. As Kaspersky points out, scammers are drawn to dating services because they know that people on these platforms are looking for a personal connection, and they take advantage of that.

Of all the different types of issues on dating apps, users most often have encountered catfishing (33%), malicious links or attachments (38%), or have found that their identity had been stolen (36%). Those who managed to avoid an attack were able to identify a fraudster with a suspicious profile that looked fake (42%); were extremely careful and never sent money to dating applications (48%), or paid attention to suspicious messages (37%). Almost 29% of respondents of the survey said that they became suspicious when the scammer refused to get on a video call.

The lack of privacy is also a serious issue for dating apps. 26% of the respondents said they are worried about their personal data being circulated online. And 24% of users said they deleted dating apps because they wanted to keep their personal information private.

“Dating online can be perceived as a risky adventure, as at the beginning of the acquaintance you don't know anything about each other. However, keeping an eye out for some red flags can help you stay alert and pay attention to your digital match’s behavior. If they ask for money or personal details during the first or second day of online dating, it’s better to consider whether it’s safe to continue communicating. Additionally, security measures can be a helpful way to keep your online dating experience safe and enjoyable,” said David Jacoby, security researcher at Kaspersky.

“Anyone who registers on a dating app is, in principle, willing to open up and reveal personal information to a certain extent. After all, getting to know each other requires a willingness to share details about yourself. If this openness – and a little bit of the defenselessness that comes with it – is exploited, the injuries will run deep. In an analog meeting, one can hope to recognize whether someone has good or bad intentions. But here, too, it is possible to be wrong, because experienced scammers can disguise themselves incredibly well,” Jacoby added.

New technologies always play an ambivalent role. While on one hand, they give people lots of choices and many have now learned how to keep themselves safe, on the other hand, scammers and fraudsters have also found new ways to abuse the medium.

“To protect yourself, you need to recognize what the fraudster is after. Money? Data? An identity to steal? Or does the other person want to stalk or emotionally blackmail you?”

“In these situations, you should immediately ask the counter-question, why is this information important to the other person? Whether they are asking about your financial situation, health, a recent major life event, exact employer and position in the company, request for erotic pictures, request for linking with friends, secrets or weaknesses, to name just a few. Great caution is required and if a strange feeling persists, the contact should be cut off immediately,” commented therapists Birgitt Hölzel and Stefan Ruzas from the Munich practice Liebling + Schatz.