Who can we trust while dating online?
Growing into the daily use of or phones, why not use it to find a partner? On dating apps, you can see the person and chat with them before even actually meeting them in person. While getting to know them better you can then start meeting them, going on dates, and sharing personal information. This is where I begin to talk about how protecting personal information is important while online dating, as well as, protecting yourself in general. I found that within online dating 1 in 10 people have shared their home address and 25% of people have given their whole name first and last (Kaspersky). This shows that many people are giving their trust in the other person they are talking to, giving them their full name and even giving them their home address. Giving both of these can be a risk of leading to giving more information and the other person using that information with unwanted intent. In relation to our protection, an article I found said, “Online dating has the potential to compromise your privacy, your reputation, and even your personal safety” (MyIDCare). This is true, by disclosing personal information too soon to a person may result in stolen information and even harm. A study has shown that a large majority of people don't feel safe using the app, “(46%) believe these platforms are a not too or not at all safe way of meeting people” (Pew Research Center). Almost half of the study shows that people don’t feel that online dating platforms they are using are safe. This is understandable, online dating is supposed to get information to know the other person but there is a fine line between getting to know someone's traits and personality. Not getting personal information like where they are located, and more. As 3 in 10 Americans have used a dating platform (Pew Research Center) this is highly relevant today. There are many privacy and personal information issues, where people should be careful about what information they are giving out and how they are using the platforms.
As the development of the internet and media platforms grow, we see that there are still vulnerabilities within those systems. People with harmful intent are finding ways around the systems to abuse the platforms for their own personal gain. In an article by MyIDCare sys “Researchers have also found that many online dating apps have serious security issues, giving hackers the opportunity to steal your personal information for identity theft, phishing, or even extortion”. The scammers are using the platforms to manipulate and abuse the intent of what they are used for. The case I will talk about is a way in which phishing may be used. Phishing is defined as, “a cybercrime in which a target or targets are contacted by email, telephone or text message by someone posing as a legitimate institution to lure individuals into providing sensitive data such as personally identifiable information, banking and credit card details, and passwords” (Phishing.org). In the case, a Japanese woman in the U.S. falls victim to a man claiming to be a U.S. Amry captain stationed in Syria. The relationship grew online, reporting to have daily conversations over the course of 10 months. Turns out that she had sent him $200,000 at his request, going into bankruptcy trying to help him with “his plan to smuggle diamonds out of Syria” (New York Times). As this may be an extreme case for this woman, they got $6 million from other people over their scheme. This is an example of how powerful someone's words can be over the internet, where 80 people could send messages and get that much money from people. On dating platforms and other messaging platforms, is where you let your guard down, to open up to someone. That person may not be who they say they are, that's why it’s important to meet the person you are talking to before sending any type of personal information like passwords, money, and personal addresses. These people on the other side of the message may seem sweet and may even feel like they are a perfect match but that is how they pray on the vulnerable. In 2018 the U.S. reported that “$143 million” (Identity Force) lost to romance scams. This is a significant amount of money gained by scammers which is why it's so important to protect your identity as well as who you are talking to online.
Lastly, I want to talk about what you can do today to protect yourselves while dating online.
- The first thing is don't send money. Even if you have met them online face-to-face, they might be scamming you. You shouldn't be their source of income.
- Don’t share personal information and passwords. This can lead to them accessing personal accounts.
- If you feel something might be off, talk to a friend or family member about this situation.
- Make sure to look into the privacy settings of the platform you are using.
- Be careful to not give away your location before you meet them. This can be a concern for safety if they know where you are and you don't know where they are.
- Look to see if they have other media accounts. Like Facebook, Instagram, Twitter, and Snapchat.
- If they say they love you too soon, it might be an indicator that they are trying to scam you.
- Again, if they ask for any type of money or gift, don't send it. If they are trying to send you a gift, don’t accept, they might be trying to get your address.
- Use Lastpass. Talking to people online, you may give away security questions, like what your first pet was. Lastpass encrypts your passwords so it protects your passwords from people trying to access your personal information. LastPass
These are a couple of ways to protect yourself while dating online. Today, we are constantly interacting online and even trying to find a partner online. That’s why it's important to know how to protect yourself and know the signs of being scammed. Signs may vary, but if your gut is feeling like something may be off, talk to someone about it. Your friends and family are the ones looking out for your best interest.
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