Heartbreaking Stories of People Who Got Scammed on Tinder During the Pandemic

Every social media site has scammers , but there ’s something extra cheerless about masses getting scammed on date stamp sites like Tinder . unluckily , it happens all the prison term , and that has n’t stopped withmore peopleturning to date apps during the pandemic .

Back in 2016 , Gizmodo filed a Freedom of Information Act request with the FTC for consumer complaint that Tinder usershad charge about the date app . We resolve to charge a new request . Some complaints were like to 2016 , but there are a few newfangled bend .

A few common themes show up in the latest useable scam report obtained by Gizmodo , among them , many cozenage allegation about people claiming they ’re with the U.S. military and tales of excited victimization . There are also several reports of people googling for a customer service act to reach Tinder for an issue with their account only to stumble onto bastard “ customer table service ” numbers that scammers use to demand distraught people to purchase eBay and Google Pay gift cards and ply them with the authorization number . This is an easy scam to pull off , in part because Tinder has no official customer serve phone number available and , according to the complaints , emails to Tinder frequently go unanswered .

Illustration: Benjamin Currie/Gizmodo

When we looked at the trouble of swindler on Tinder back in 2016 , just 27 % of people between the ages of 18 and 24 say they used on-line date apps and internet site . That number has set off to75 % for Tinder alone , not even including other go out site . And while the surge of dating app use during the pandemic has hadvarying effectson family relationship dynamics , it ’s also furnish scammer with more potential victims .

We ’re publishing a fistful of the oodles of FTC complaints about scams on Tinder that we ’ve obtained from 2020 below . Some minor spelling and formatting computer error have been chastise for readability . We ’ve also redacted some entropy that would implicate free multitude in offense they did n’t commit , most often because defrauder used their name and/or likeness to dedicate sham on Tinder .

“I then wired $20,000…”

Met Ben [ redacted ] in mid April and chatted thru Tinder then on Whatsapp . We fuck off very friendly and we met on Skype face to face the end of April . He say his married woman and daughter conk in a car accident 5 years ago . He determine I should come to Sweden as he was run low to grease one’s palms me an airway just the ticket hopefully locomote in July when the border there opened up . We talked about it being a concern trip so it would be easier for me to enter Sweden . I was to station first $ 7,000 via PayPal which I did on May 11th . He tell his father go by off and I was to fall search at his holding . A week subsequently Bradley [ cast ] who was his International Finance cat sent me an electronic mail describing the property and time value and said I would need at least 20 % down . I then wired $ 20,000 to a Lina [ redacted ] , at Nordea Bank on May 21 . I do n’t hump if it has cleared yet as my bank said it would take until 6/1/20 . When I netmail David this he said it should clear on his conclusion in 2 - 3 days , which would possibly be Tuesday 5/26/20 . Ben and I have been chew the fat twice a Clarence Day up until Yesterday , Saturday . He sent me a text via WhatsApp saying what his day was going to be but he did n’t call at 2 pm , my meter , as usual . This sunup I pick up an electronic mail from David asking if I ’ve heard from Ben as he has not responded to him . I respond I had n’t heard from him since the text Saturday sunrise . Today I found out on the cyberspace that I could do a reverse image on a website call socialcatfish . I put in several of Ben ’s exposure and it come up with a mates of a Stefan [ redacted ] , who is married and has 4 or 5 youngster on Facebook : About 18 flick Ben sent to me are on Mr [ Stefan ’s ] Facebook page . I also found that Ben was on another date stamp internet site as “ Allen ” in Dallas , TX at some degree : This is up to day of the month as of now , Sunday at 7:00pm . I wish I would have sleep together about image reversing . I thought I was secure in knowing who he was when we ’re on Skype . Unless he had a mask on he looked just like Stefan [ redacted ] flick . We even Skype with a lady Linda who he said is his Assistant for 15 twelvemonth .

“I’m not sure if that was a scam…”

So I cope with with a girl on tinder and she narrate me she wanted me to verify my account and air me a inter-group communication and I put in my debit entry bill info and name . This was a couple of days ago and I just understand that they occupy out $ 39.99 out of my account and I called a telephone number which is [ edit ] to get my money back . I ’m not sure if that was a cozenage as well but I desire not . They said 5 to 10 business organisation days it will be restored .

“I am now broke and heart broken.”

We met on Tinder . We quickly fall in sexual love . He claimed to be a cyber federal agent in the military machine on special assignments . First he was in California . then Afghanistan . Always say he ’d be home to Chatham base “ before long ” . It ’s been four month . He first asked for $ 500 dollars for solid food saying his debit card was frozen and bank account close down till further notice . I believed him . After that he require me to help him go a live business in Fortex saying he ’d double my money if I gave him $ 10,000 dollars . I refused . He asked for money for a newfangled telephone set at $ 1,500 dollar mark I gave it to him . He played with my heart and would get angry when I did n’t give him money . say I did n’t trust him . I thought I found the gentleman of my aspiration and from then on give him money every time and every reason he asked . This totaled up quickly to 22,100.00 . This was my saving . I ca n’t conceive I ’ve been scammed and I fell in passion with an image . We never spoke on the sound . We never met , only texting . I ca n’t populate without this money and he promise to give it back and more . Now that i know he is n’t jesse [ redacted ] and his sound is untraceable to me . I revere the wrist joint for getting my money back . There is a mortal that warned me because the same mortal scammed his mom and other woman too . But like me the other char stays in self-denial thinking he ’s real and that he lie with us . I have the bitcoin addresses that he sent me to post him money . They were always different . I ’m hop this can help link him to his real name . We also use hangouts and I wonder if that could retrace his current location . He has my SS # , a word-painting of my permit and recommendation . He knows my DOB , where I live , my berth office box number , names of family members , etc . He asked for all that to start something societal for our future together . He is very persuasive . I did n’t want to give him money but he impress awe in me and made me doubt myself . I also was afraid to drop off him . Now all I like about is getting my vast amount of money back and hitch him because I ’m pretty trusted he ’s doing this to many woman preceding and present . He wants union and children and two houses . He is a very respectable prevaricator . Says he ’s been in the military for ten years . Grew up in Germany . Has an ex - wife and a five year previous girl . Two parents deceased . The visibility he used I was able to find and this is how I cognize he ’s not who he says he is . He is not jesse [ redacted ] . The real jesse [ redact ] is in the armed forces married with a little girl . His instagram is [ redacted ] . This is the person the simulated Jesse uses his photograph etc . I unfortunately ca nt add up up with much more data but I really need to get my money back and save other innocent people / cleaning woman from fall into this trap . This man is evil and a narcissist and obviously no empathy . He is a professional serial gouger and robber . He needs to be caught . I plan to go to my local police , my bank and whomever else I demand to to work on catching this horrifying person . I am now intermit and heart break . I should have known better but he is so unassailable and does get angry . I fear for him in real biography . He still insists we will foregather and I will get my money back but I do n’t see how he can root for it off because he ’s not who he say he is and I fear he ’s dangerous .

“Then he asked for a 100 EUR iTunes card…”

My friend Juliane satisfy “ Christopher ” on Tinder . They sing a slight turn , then moved to text message using WhatsApp on April 2 . Christopher ’s taradiddle : US - American who was in Berlin at the time they touch base on Tinder , then was “ deploy ” to go as an engineer on a base in Syria . Said he needed iTunes gift carte du jour to have the IT department of his troupe [ put ] transpose the credit to nomadic data . My friend who got scammed send out him a 15 EUR talent card even though she feel eldritch about the guy because his English was not native ( too many grammar mistake and strange phraseology ) . They continued to mouth for approx . two weeks , then he ask for a 100 EUR iTunes card . She did not send the card , we “ google ” this scam attack and found that others have made like experiences . Juliane confronted him by saying that she know he was scamming her and he sent some outraged messages back . She never place him any vulnerable video or the like , so he has “ nothing ” he can blackmail her with , only her telephone number . Other information “ Christopher ” sent about himself : widower , has one ten yr quondam tiddler ( who lives with Christopher ’s mother in NY ) , lost married woman 3 days ago in [ accident ] , lives in Anderson SC , broadcast several moving picture of a soul claiming to be him ( wreak cornhole , standing on radio towers fag a work harness )

“I loaned him $2,500…”

My friend meet a man on tinder Who conk by the name of Gadsden . She then introduced me to his friend , he get by the name Ranger . We had talked for weeks and then he said that he had sold some belongings a few year ago and the IRS said he owe money and he said that the IRS capture his money box write up and ask to borrow some money until his CPA answer the issue . I loaned him $ 2,500 .

“They said they would reimburse me the $200…”

I was unable to receive a verification computer code to log into my Tinder account . When I contacted the customer service listing for Tinder , I was told to go to Duane Reade and bribe an eBay giving card for $ 200 . Then I was told to call the customer service number back and give them the eBay number for the $ 200 . They said they would reimburse me the $ 200 if I afford them my bank invoice number to reimburse it to . When my mom called the client service number , she was told the same thing . They gave her a manager to call , Mr. Albert at [ redacted ] . He never called her back . I am now lock out of my Tinder account because I can not get a verification code . They told my mamma that the account is banned and the only way of life to unlock it is to pay off the money . Please help . There may be lots of people who have been scammed by this bastard client servicing . spunk has no other number to call , and if you email them , they never respond .

“They said I needed to use eBay gift cards.”

My Tinder bill was hack on . Called the number from a web site claiming to be Tinder . They say me that there were multiple hacker and I needed to pay off for a dependable connection and would be reimbursed . They say I need to use eBay gift cards . I yield and after recognise I was scammed . I have tried contacting eBay ’s scam number but it just hangs up on me when I essay move forward after being elevate . I have since tried emailing Tinder with no answer and do n’t acknowledge if I ’m still being scammed with purchases in my account because I can not get into it .

“…he paid them $2,000…”

Consumer country that he has an account with Tinder and he had want to get hold of them , so he become on their site . He press consumer help and pay back a phone number to call . He did that and was recount that they will serve him clean up out his issues with his account . He was told that he would first have to buy a gift card for $ 500 . He did that 4 times , so he devote them $ 2,000 in total .

“He claimed he was in the Army Reserve…”

I met this someone on Tinder an we ended up a lucifer . We jump message each other on tinder he claim he is in the military in Abilene , Texas . Then he claimed he was going to be deployed in Alaska for two month over a peace softwood . We exchanged phone numbers and originate texting each other on WhatsApp and then exact he fuck me and want my PayPal account and wanted to put money in there so he can have me buy a stream card for him to convert on bitcoin . Then I asked him what happened about his bank account and his other written document he told me he lost it during patrol . So he sent money in the PayPal and then I got scared and parry him and he had another somebody texting me . He was his colleague and that if I do n’t pay his money in 24 hours he was going to kill me and my own youngster . He take he was in the Army Reserve in Abilene and his name was Richard . So I block up him and I ’m frightened for my kids . I ended up sending David [ frame ] a $ 100 giving add-in to ease back . He tried to get in my e-mail and the locating said it was from Nigeria .

“Scammer wanted to verify I am of age and background check.”

Bio on tinder … made contact … chiseller want to affirm I am of age and background check . IE : for secure dating that I am not a felon . via websites date4tinder.com , date4done.com , date4tinder.xyz stating the site are innocent , no charge to the CC just for confirmation of who I am . Scammer was persistent on induce substantiation computer code for Tinder . Scammer used 2 numbers [ cast ] , [ redacted ] and then a final # after tinder code was given # [ redacted ] posit for a hook up scammer seemed to be same person but sent two different characterization that were not appropriate . I set off my ml a little charge was tried but worsen by my CC co. the site was for an offer to keep your information unafraid I am sorry I did n’t take note of the site . Looks very professional . I was banned from kindling for my ignorance new to the technical school thing . The defrauder is still texting me trying to engage # [ couch ] . If I can be of any assist please touch me .

“I need to get a Google Play $50 card”

I Googled contact Tinder and they gave me this routine I called the number . They said I was cut up and I need to get a Google Play $ 50 card and then contact them and they would fix my account has been hacked in Mexico I realized they were a scammer that ’s when I contacted you . They said they were affiliated with Google Play Store or Tinder .

“I was also asked to download applications that allowed them to access my laptop and iPhone.”

I called touchwood client financial support to call off subscription . Was demand to bribe three $ 100 Google swordplay talent bill of fare and to provide the number . I was also inquire to download applications that allowed them to access my laptop and iPhone . When they asked me to buy more gift card I became suspicious and ask them to call me some other sentence .

If you or someone you know is ever asked to pay money to someone they met on a date situation , it ’s probably a cozenage . On the “ Tinder Support ” page , Tinder offer only acontact formand a fax act . The pressing e-mail will give you this auto - reply : “ Thanks for your e-mail . Unless you are a member of the media , you will not receive a reply . Please use the emails below for other requests , ” which include production headway enquiry . We ’ll update this Wiley Post if we try back .

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