How to Tell If Your Tinder Profile Is Fake
Fake profiles and chatbots were the most frustrating part of using Tinder when I compared it to the competition . They are all over the place, trying to sell you something or steal your personal information, force you to download malware, or even beg you to send money. If you just want to calmly swipe your finger across the screen, here’s what you need to pay attention to.
Their profile is missing biography, profession or other basic information
Tinder doesn’t give users a lot of room to write about themselves, but it’s enough to describe your personality and possibly make a joke. If the person you meet does n’t have anything written in the biography section at all , that’s a red flag. It’s the same with their occupation and list of schools. If all you see on their profile are Tinder photos, be careful. However, Tinder also allows you to link your Instagram account for photo sharing, which is a feature that many people use. While a photo-only account shouldn’t be the main criterion for evaluating a profile, a profile without Instagram linked to it can also be a red flag.
Also note the strange references in their bio. Some profiles will have a link with a shortened URL and a tantalizing line like “If you want to know more about me” or “Visit my website”. Leave these links alone. They probably lead to some strange and often harmful places.
They only have one photo
If having a profile that contains nothing but photos is a big red flag, then there is only one photo, especially if there is no other information in their biography. If this photo looks professionally taken, you should hear the alarm bells. Buzzfeed’s Sam Weiner and Maritza Patrinos also invite you to keep a close eye on profiles with clearly photoshopped photos, celebrity photos, and profiles that seem to have multiple photos of different people. In short, is there anything that prevents you from believing that this is the person in the photograph? Avoid it.
They answer your messages very quickly.
You swipe right for someone you like, whose profile seems to be in order, you match them a few moments later, and they almost immediately send you a message. You might be thinking, “Great! It works great, ”but it’s actually a strange sign. Spandas Louie of Lifehacker Australia invites you to pay close attention to how quickly your matches are responding to your messages. If they seem to react to you instantly – we mean they are faster than humans can usually type – this is probably a bot designed to strike while the iron is hot and lower your vigilance to they could have pulled out personal information or tricked you by clicking on a link that would lead to malware or worse.
They reply to your messages with nonsense
Not all chatbots are the same. Satnam Narang, senior manager of security response at Symantec, explains that bots get smarter by timing . For some, response times range from 10 to 45 minutes, so you can’t always tell that this is a bot that follows a script. This is why Andy O’Donnell of About.com recommends that you keep an eye out for common answers, meaningless wording, and misspellings .
If they don’t seem to be answering your questions directly or are constantly changing the subject, that should scare you. When it comes to spelling, some typos are acceptable here and there, but watch out for frequent misspellings or phrases that can’t even be read. For example, a message like “hayy imm borred do yoau likke choclate” is a red flag. If you’re still not sure, Robert Epstein, a psychologist and artificial intelligence expert , suggests that you enter random letters such as “asdkf skdjfslkdjflk” in the next post. If they respond to this as if you are perfectly normal and continue the conversation, chances are it’s a bot. If asked what the hell are you talking about, just say it was an accident and continue.
They want to remove the conversation from Tinder immediately
Any Tinder user who asks you to move a conversation from Tinder before you have a chance to talk and actually connect is a huge red flag. Louis invites you to find people who ask you to write to them immediately because they are “quitting Tinder” or “they just hate using the app.” Sure, some people legitimately hate this, but if they give you their phone number right away, check the area code to see if it even matches yours. If not, ask them why. And keep your number with you if they ask you to. If you text them or give them your number, it will most likely lead to an endless stream of spam and calls from robots.
Also, don’t worry about people asking you to join them on any other social network, especially if you’ve never heard of this site. They are simply trying to trick you into registering online or phishing your personal information. Frankly, avoid anyone who asks you too much , for example, your home address, email address or something more personal than that required for the initial contact.
They seem too good to be true
After all, if the user seems too good to be true, they probably are. If you see a profile filled with only glamorous shots and a bio that sounds like the perfect partner, hit the brakes. When you watch matches and start wondering why you like a bikini model or a guy with swimmer abs, reevaluate the situation before you start messaging. We are not saying that this is impossible, we are simply saying: be careful.
Likewise, watch out for profiles that are clearly for self-promotion only (this happens a lot in Los Angeles and New York). If they have great photos and a clever description of themselves, but they also share all of their social media accounts or streaming channels and ask you to follow them in the same bio, give them the old swipe to the left. Follow your heart, but let your brain make decisions – you probably won’t get celebrities who want to promote themselves on Tinder to date you.
How to report fake profiles
Tinder tries to fight fake profiles, but it helps if you take the time to report the worst offenders. If you believe the profile you linked to is fake, here’s how to report it:
- Head towards your matches by clicking on the chat bubble icon in the upper right corner.
- Select the fake profile you want to report.
- Tap the three dots in the upper right corner.
- Select “Report [their name]” and click “Looks like spam”.
This will turn them off and get them out of your hair, and also let Tinder know they’re not up to anything good, so others won’t have to worry about them either.