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#MeetUgly: Swipe right for trouble
Following the recent reports of criminals using dating apps to find potential targets, we delve deeper into this dark side
On December 28, a Class 12 student was robbed of his car in Gharuan after being lured by carjackers to a secluded spot.
In November, a Patiala-based woman asked a man out for a date only to spike his drink and rob him of his valuables including a gold chain and a ring, his mobile phone, and his wallet.
In September, a family from Nakodar filed a complaint that a woman duped their son of over ₹14 lakh. She had sought his financial help in relocating abroad and had promised to sponsor him. But once she did manage to shift to Vancouver, all communication stopped.
What these incidents have in common is that the accused found the victims through dating apps.
While these apps have transformed the way the newer generations look at relationships and have given them the opportunity to find a partner in ways that weren’t possible before, they have also opened up a huge can of worms.
What was supposed to be a means for people to find love has become a catalogue for criminals to find their potential target.
Taking about the risks of digital romance, a senior Chandigarh Police official, not wishing to be named, says, “These apps claim to have a system to do a thorough security and background check of people joining their platform but that’s clearly not the case. The features they claim to have in place aren’t enough to deter fraudsters from signing on.”
“We receive cases ranging from clients facing romance frauds where miscreants use dating apps for siphoning money, duping people on the pretext of medical emergencies, gift courier frauds, etc,” says advocate Rajnish Verma.
“Many of these dating apps have algorithms to detect suspicious and abusive chats. And many encourage users to authenticate their profiles but none of it is mandatory. And that’s what gives an opportunity to criminals,” he adds.
Superintendent of police (SP) cyber, Ketan Bansal, says, “We keep holding awareness sessions against sharing personal information like your home address or meeting with strangers one finds on dating apps, but such incidents still do come forward.”
“We saw a spike in scams where people used these apps to scout for victims, especially during the lockdown. At that time, the modus operandi was to connect with the victims online, then on the pretext of sending gifts, they would dupe the victims by ‘requesting’ them to pay the ‘delivery or excise clearance charges’,” he adds.
“Dating app scams can have long-lasting repercussions. Not only do they lead to financial losses, but are also emotionally draining for the victims and can have a lasting impact on their psyche,” says clinical psychologist Dr Vrinda Sharma.
“I have patients who used these platforms and were conned. The incidents left them disturbed and even discouraged. Many swore off dating apps. And it’s not like the victims are careless. Most did their due diligence before agreeing to meet the scammers, and still fell prey,” says psychologist Dr Gagandeep Kaur.
“There’s no way to find out every side of a person even if you meet them in real life, let alone online. We, humans, tend to lie and hide sides of us. But what can be done is to be cautious – avoid meeting people in secluded places, or drinking on the very first meeting,” she adds.
While interacting with people on dating apps, one has to understand that there is a possibility of these profiles belonging to conmen, stalkers, and abusers. So, I avoid giving out personal information, to anyone I haven’t met in person, says Angad Sachdeva, who is pursuing a Master’s degree in English at Panjab University.
“My first rule is to cut off all communication with anyone who asks for financial details. Also, if I go out on a date, I station a friend nearby, just in case I need rescuing,” says Nisha Choudhary, a marketing professional.
