online dating safety, online scam

Welcome to the Online Dating Safety Center: Protecting Users & Developers

 

How to Spot a Fake Dating Profile

by Dr. Max Langdon

You’re likely asking yourself how to spot a fake dating profile because you’ve seen a match that looks just a bit too perfect. You see a 10/10. They swiped right on you. They’re a "surgeon" or an "international architect." But something feels... off. I’ve been…

The Dating-to-Phishing Scam: When Your Dating Profile Becomes a Security Risk

by Dr. Max Langdon

A sophisticated scam is targeting online daters: Scammers use dating apps to collect your personal information, then launch convincing phishing attacks through services like Netflix, Facebook, Google, or lottery organizations. Step 1: Legitimate-Looking Profile Scammers create dating profiles using their real information—not stolen identities—making them…

The AI-Generated Photo Crisis: When You Can't Trust What You See

by Dr. Max Langdon

By late 2026, AI-generated images have become so realistic that neither the human eye nor detection software can reliably identify them. For online dating, this means: Photos can no longer be trusted. Early 2025: Users spotted AI photos by weird hands, distorted backgrounds, unnatural lighting.

Digital Footprint Redlining: The New Dating Due Diligence

by Dr. Max Langdon

In 2026, high-net-worth individuals in the U.S. have normalized a practice that would have seemed paranoid just years ago: conducting thorough background checks before first dates. What started as basic Google searches has evolved into sophisticated vetting processes involving LinkedIn verification, professional association memberships, and…