Norton, a leading Cyber Safety brand of Gen, recently published these startling New Zealand findings from a global study about online dating, associated scams, and attitudes about online stalking.
- “Catfishing” is the most common scam, followed by malware/spyware scams and fake dating sites
- More than 6 in 10 victims have suffered financial losses, on average, NZ$264
- A third of those in romantic relationships admit to checking in on their current or former partners without their knowledge or consent
The 2023 Norton Cyber Safety Insights Report (NCSIR), conducted online in partnership with The Harris Poll, surveyed 1,003 New Zealand adults aged 18+ and found that 25% of respondents have fallen victim to an online dating or romance scam, with catfishing scams being the most common (9%), followed by malware and spyware scams (8%) (i.e., where a scammer sends a legitimate-looking website that includes malware), and fake dating sites (7%).
Furthermore, financial scams – asking for money and disappearing after it was sent (which affected 6% of participants surveyed), military romance scams (6%), cryptocurrency scams (5%) and intimate activity scams (5%) (i.e., where a scammer convinces a victim to undress or otherwise, and then threatens them with the recording), were also recorded. 62 percent of online dating/romance scam victims have suffered financial loss, with an average loss of NZ$264.
Given online dating/romance scams have proven to be a costly threat to some New Zealand adults, it is no surprise that the majority of Kiwis who have used a dating website/app (61%) admit to taking action after matching with a potential romantic partner. These include looking up their social media profiles (48%), typing their name into a search engine (30%), looking up their profile on a professional networking site (26%), or looking up their friends or family on social media (23%). One in 10 (10%) have even paid to run a background check on them.
With vetting a potential date being commonplace amongst Kiwis, the survey has also found that more than 2 in 5 online daters (44%) have unmatched or declined a date with someone on a dating app after uncovering unsettling information about them. The most common reasons being they found out the person lied about their personal details (20%), found pictures of matches online that did not align with their online dating profile pictures (20%), and found disturbing social media posts (17%).
Like online daters, New Zealand adults in romantic relationships also engage in “online creeping.” One-third of adults in New Zealand surveyed who have been in a romantic relationship (33%) admit to checking in on their current or former partners without their knowledge or consent, most commonly by checking their current or former significant other’s phone to view text messages, phone calls, direct messages, emails, or photos (17%). Others say they have used their knowledge of their passwords to access their partner’s device or online accounts (13%), tracked their location via a location sharing app (11%), or even created a fake profile on a dating app to see if their significant other has a dating profile (8%).
Tips for those who would like a safer and more positive dating experience:
- Choose the right site: Stick to credible websites. Paid sites also tend to have members that are more committed to meeting up in real life, because it is a financial investment. Free sites tend to have more members, which equals more choices, but it also means there’s a higher chance of interacting with a scammer.
- Protect your privacy: Most dating sites store more personal information about you than other websites, including demographic information and even ‘personality quiz’ information to help match you with like-minded individuals. You want to be sure your private information is being protected. Do check the privacy settings on your profile as these are sometimes public by default. Check to see if the website deletes your data after you close your account. Lastly, is your photo only shown to members or can it also be used for online advertising? If so, is there an option to opt-out?
- Creating your profile: Balance creating an enticing profile while keeping a tight grip on your personal information. Create a username that you have not used for any other online accounts, because your username can be searched, and anything tied to it will come up. Profile photos can contain a lot of personal information in the background if you’re not careful. Relatedly, use unique photos for each site. Otherwise, a user can reverse image search your pictures and easily locate other websites where that photo is posted. Set up a free email account to use with your dating account that has a unique name. Make sure that the email address has no personal information about you in it.
- Communicate safely: Initially, limit communications to the dating site itself. A lot of these sites have moderators and allow you to report anything that seems offensive or threatening. If you move the conversation to email, use the dedicated email account you created to protect your anonymity. For a phone call, set up a free Google Voice account, which will generate a separate phone number and forward it to your mobile. In case things fizzle out, the other person won’t have your real phone number.
- Make sure you don’t catch a ‘catfish’: Catfishing is when a user assumes the identity of someone else. This tactic is used by online predators to try to trick people into an online romantic relationship. If the user’s profile seems too good to be true, it probably is. Do a reverse online image search of their photos, and if they appear in other places, under other names, you may have caught yourself a catfish.