How to Easily Spot Fake Profiles on Tinder ‣ Antoinette Camilleri

Many girls and women complain about fake profiles on Tinder and other dating apps when its too late. They match with what sounds like a nice man, and after some chatting and sweet talk, they are asked for money, or start to feel that something is off. It could also be that they start to feel, that they are being led on, because after a lot of chatting nothing happens.

Some cases are obvious, other less so; and some women are honestly surprised and disappointed.

The below are some signs the profile could be fake. These are early flags which will help you to not get involved or led on.

In rare occasions it could be legit. But if the profile ticks 2 or more of the below, then very likely, it is not.

Most of the below apply for females looking for males on Tinder. Some flags may also apply for males, as well, but they have not been tested.

If the distance is over 1700km, even when you had set the distance at much less. Of course there are times Tinder shows you people who have extended their search range, and could be a match; even if they do not fall within yours. But if he is a looker, and has that on – well lookers usually do not have to try that hard, do they?
As I said above, the more of these, a profile ticks, the more likely it’s fake.
The distance goes from a few kilometres when you match, to over 2000km after matching. It could be that the person was on holiday in your country, and now returned to their own country. But it could also be a a fake profile, who keeps changing the IP address to fish in different countries.
Once you start chatting he shares very early in the chat, that he works in the military or in the marines. Usually he states without you having to ask. Its business after all, so time = money. Of course, there are people who truly work in the the military or the marines; but just keep an eye open for more of these leads. I once got someone saying they are working on a submarine, AND therefore was more convenient for him to communicate by email 😀😄😀.
The first message is quite long, saying something about himself – widow, looking for long term relationship, etc.,and that he would like to chat with you or get to know you better. Again cutting corners, saving time – saying a lot in one message far too early. Check out the screenshots below.
Some people say if he immediately wants to move to WhatsApp, it’s a red flag. I had the opposite experience, if they want to move to WhatsApp or Facebook, it usually is a sign that it is not a fake profile; not that they are good dating material though. However there have been many cases when a man asks to move to WhatsApp, saying he works in the army or the military and then later on asks for money. So still watch out.
If he does ask to move to WhatsApp you can search the mobile number on Google and or Facebook.
He wants to move to Telegram and does not have or want to chat on WhatsApp or Facebook.
For me the most obvious red flag is when they want to move to email. You usually get a story to justify this, like how their working conditions and/or shifts does not allow them to message, and therefore email is more convenient. Translation – “don’t be alarmed if I disappear for my 2 days off, before I continue to lead you on”.
The pictures are too good to be true, or look like they are all professional photos. Unless he is a model and if he created the profile from a legit Facebook account, one or two photos would be a normal photo.
The photo include a kid or kids, and/or dogs on purpose and the photos are really good. They are of course trying to pull and woman’s heart string. What better way?
Another possibility is when the age is obviously wrong, like the guy looks 40, but the age shows 60. This is usually a sign that the creator of the profile did not register with his Facebook account, or registered with a fake Facebook account. This is not always the case however. The user may have had other reasons to not register on Tinder with their Facebook account, or may have made a mistake in putting in his details.
If you are in Malta, you will find a lot of fake profiles which say they live in Valletta. Scammers who are not situated in Malta probably think that a lot of people live in Valletta. Obviously some people do, but as we know most foreigners living in Malta do not afford Valletta rent. Plus a scammer trying to get a quick buck, once again cuts corners and uses the capital city instead of looking for alternative residential areas..
Finally it is ok to protect yourself and ask for proof. Lately I was chatting with someone who had a reasonable excuse for not having a Facebook account. Or was it? So I asked for a video of him using my name. I got a video with my name typed on it. That was a sure sign that whoever was behind the profile was not doing his utmost to proof he is real. You could always ask for a video call, but I did not want that myself.