Every picnic has ants ready to spoil the fun. In the gay online dating sphere, those pesky biters and sandwich ruiners are fake profiles. From catfishes to scammers, bad actors are ready to take advantage of innocent love searchers. So what do you do about fake profiles on gay dating sites?
Don’t give up your internet date quest just yet. All it takes is understanding what fake dating profiles are, why they exist, and how to spot them. Read on for easy tips to keep you ahead of the game.
What Are Fake Dating Profiles?
It’s all in the name: fake dating profiles are accounts on a dating site that don’t accurately represent the user. It’s a broad term encompassing every type of deception, from a profile using a false name to one with someone else’s pictures to be 100% fabricated. These are all fake dating profiles.
This also includes hacked or stolen accounts. A scam profile might once have belonged to a legit user but has now been taken over by someone else. Fake profiles on gay dating sites show up in many forms, but one thing stays the same: they’re relatively common.
A recent Forbes article speaking with dating app insiders revealed startling statistics about fake dating profiles. Dating app executives and insiders estimate that falsified profiles make up 15% of all users. Theoretically, at least one in every ten profiles is fake.
Why Are There So Many Fake Profiles on Dating Sites?
Why are there so many fake profiles on dating sites, you ask? Well, it’s hard to pin down just one reason. But a few possibilities are:
- Lack of verification systems
- Vulnerability of users
- Engagement bots
- Insecure users
We’ll dive deeper into these four explanations down below.
Reasons for Fake Profiles on Gay Dating Sites: Lack of Verification Systems
Online dating sites and apps rarely have extensive, reliable verification systems. This is partly due to many dating sites being on the cheaply-produced side of things. Picture a page with barely a home page or one littered with ads. Safe to say it’s probably not splurging on the best security technology.
Additionally, long identity-checking processes usually discourage people from signing up. If it seems too much of a hassle to create a profile, a user is likelier to give up. They’ll switch to a site they can sign up for with just a click of a button.
Finally, many gay dating apps and sites have users in countries where being part of LGBTQ+ is illegal. Even reputable apps like Hornet prefer not to use a verification process involving actual IDs. They don’t want to endanger their users by creating a literal list of gay users and where they live.
Fake Profiles on Gay Dating Sites Come From the Vulnerability of Users
Con artists using fake profiles on gay dating sites assume dating platform customers are easy targets. Why? Because you’re either trying to find a hookup or find love. Malicious internet users think people using these sites are either desperate or more likely to open themselves up to trouble. So they set their traps in a way that entices their ideal prey.
For example, say you’re a scammer on a gay dating app. You might use a profile of a super buff guy and send overly flirty messages to reel in your victim. Or if you’re trawling a site for seniors, you might pretend to be a widow in desperate need of money. They might even play into your kinks to get compromising information they can use as a bargaining chip later on.
Reasons for Fake Profiles on Gay Dating Sites: Engagement Bots
Sometimes, the call comes from inside the house. That’s right, not all fake profiles on gay dating sites come from outside sources. Sometimes the same site or gay dating app you use floods their platform with bot accounts. The reasoning is the more profiles, the more popular your service looks. (To users and investors.)
Another incentive for dating companies to create fake profiles is to up their active user count. The more enticing the profiles, the more clicks, swipes, and engagement, you name it. So if a company wants to bump up its numbers, it can mass-produce bot accounts with attractive profiles.
This is a frowned-upon practice, so don’t expect to see any services coping up to this. But at the end of the day, most of these sites work on an algorithm, just like social media. The longer you stay on their platform, the better.
Reasons for Fake Profiles on Gay Dating Sites Come From Personal Insecurities
Did you ever watch MTV’s Catfish? How often was the catfish in question not an evil grifter but an insecure kid hiding behind a computer? Sure, fake profiles are a lucrative way to make a quick buck. But they’re also an easy thing for a self-conscious person to use. With the internet, you can pretend to be anyone you want.
If you’re unhappy with your looks, job, or situation, you can just log on and escape that reality. And what if you don’t have friends or a significant other? Creating an exaggerated profile to talk to people you couldn’t approach in real life seems tantalizing. Or say you’re a closeted person who can’t date who you want or talk to someone about your desires.
Don’t get us wrong: creating fake profiles on gay dating sites is wrong, no matter your reasoning. Someone always gets hurt. But it’s worth keeping every possibility in mind when understanding why so many fakes exist.
How to Tell Fake Profiles on Dating Sites
Alright, enough “Inside the mind of a fake profile” talk. Let’s learn how to tell fake profiles on dating sites from actual potential matches. We’ve compiled the five biggest red flags to keep your eyes on. However, remember that you can never be 100% sure and safe when dealing with the internet. Always keep dating safety tips top of mind whether you’re online or IRL.
1. How to Spot Fake Profiles on Gay Dating Sites: Photo Faux Pas
We mentioned fake photos earlier, so let’s start there. Some fakers don’t even bother adding pictures (a clear giveaway) or only have one photo. If they have one photo, they’re likely stealing pictures and don’t want to get caught by uploading too many options.
Fake profiles on gay dating sites are notorious for using fake or stolen photos. If a fraudster thinks you’re just trying to have a casual encounter, they’ll probably do a google search for a man with six-pack abs and slap it on a profile. The same goes for gay women: overly suggestive cleavage selfies or model shots scream phony.
A dependable safety check is good ol’ Google reverse image search. Here’s what to do if you suspect a photo of being a little too good to be true (or just straight-up questionable). Drag and drop it into Google. If the same image pops up in your search results, you’ve busted your catfish.
2. How to Spot Fake Profiles on Gay Dating Sites: Empty or Error-Filled Profile Sections
Fake profiles on gay dating sites and email swindlers are one and the same. Anyone with a beating heart and an email address has received at least one spam email in their life. What are the tell-tale signs? Typos and weird grammar. Foreign royalty, perhaps. The Nigerian prince in your inbox asking for money in broken English is a cliche at this point.
So why do scammers continue to seem so obvious? Because you’re not their target. If you notice these glaring mistakes, you’re already too bright for their ruse. They don’t want you to waste their time with a response. They only want to hear from the people who don’t pick up on the errors because they’re already gullible.
If you see a dating profile with any of these signs (or completely empty), ignore, delete, block, or report it.
3. How to Spot Fake Profiles on Gay Dating Sites: Asking for Money
This goes in hand with our previous point. But if anyone ever asks for money on a dating site, run the other way. It doesn’t matter what their story is or how long they wait to slip in their request. It’s all a lie.
The amount is irrelevant too. You might think it’s harmless to Venmo someone $5. But they’re just testing the waters to see how much of a sucker you are.
Most people don’t even like asking for money from people they know, let alone random strangers or a potential date. Plain and simple, this one is a con. Let’s keep it moving.
4. How to Spot Fake Profiles on Gay Dating Sites: Overly Eager
So far, we’ve talked mainly about the type of fake profiles on gay dating sites that are after easy money. These types usually want to keep their heist online. Now it’s time to get a little more serious. There’s one thing more dangerous than someone who keeps making excuses about why they can’t meet in person. And it’s the polar opposite.
Some criminals use dating apps to identify unchallenging targets for trafficking. They showed their potential victims with immediate praise, love, and presents. They message constantly and beg, plead, and demand to meet in person ASAP. They aim to get you into a secluded, unsafe location so they can take advantage of you. Young women, feminine-presenting men, and trans people are especially at risk for these attacks. The bottom line? Meet up, and hookup safety is vital.
5. How to Spot Fake Profiles on Gay Dating Sites: Shady Stories
Last but not least, if someone switches up their story, don’t give them the time of day. This is true even in the most harmless scenario. They’re probably not a good match for you if they won’t stop lying. But this is also an excellent way to spot a catfish or scammer. If the information in their profile doesn’t match what they’re messaging you later, be suspicious. Or if they told you one thing at the beginning, and now they’ve changed their tune.
These are all signs that they’re making things up as they go along instead of having a genuine conversation. Other variations of this are people who don’t have a story at all. If someone only ever asks about you and doesn’t answer your questions, that’s a problem. When using a dating app, stay aware, inquisitive, and proactive.
Avoid Fake Profiles on Gay Dating Sites With Doublelist
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