Verifying the digital identity of customers is a vital part of the onboarding process, known as Know Your Customer (KYC), especially for businesses within heavily regulated sectors such as financial services. For dating apps, the significance of identity verification lies at the heart of establishing trust and safety, given that online connections frequently lead to face-to-face encounters. 

Navigating the web’s complex dynamics poses numerous safety concerns and gives rise to various forms of scams, with romance scams notably causing substantial financial losses. In 2021, for instance, scams relating to romance or dating accounted for more than $1 billion in financial detriment. The dating website tips listed below will help you perform online dating identity verification and weed out scammers.

How to Ensure Legitimate Profiles on Dating Sites?

1. Profile Partially Completed

An incomplete profile may indicate a counterfeit identity. Many online dating platforms require users to complete a profile questionnaire to provide deeper insight into their persona. However, fraudulent profiles often exhibit gaps in their information, attributing the omissions to forgetfulness or lack of time.

Profiles that only include basic details such as name, age, and location are likely to be insincere. It’s also wise to verify if they have connected any social media accounts to their dating profile. Genuine users usually link their Instagram or Snapchat accounts in their biographies, adding an additional layer of authenticity.

2. Choose More Reliable Websites

Among dating sites, there are those on which the percentage of scammers is many times higher. This is not just an accident, but the result of weak authentication procedures, low profile registration requirements, or slow customer support. When you choose the best mail order bride sites, you can count on protection from the site itself and quick blocking of dangerous accounts. Even the most trusted bride websites cannot guarantee security, but they make a lot of effort to protect users. It is better to choose sites from a verified list that has been tested by an experienced security service provider. For example, VeePN has a selection of sites and a free trial VPN to protect your privacy.

3. Few Photos and They Are Not Unique

If someone’s profile features just a single selfie, it might be a red flag that they’re not being honest entirely. Individuals creating fake profiles or attempting to deceive with romance scams often curate profiles that appear legitimate at a glance, using a profile picture that seems innocuous. However, if this lone photo appears overly polished or artificial, it’s wise to question the authenticity of the profile.

Many times, these deceptive profiles will utilize headshots procured from Google searches or stock image sites. To verify the origin of the image, consider conducting a reverse image search. You should learn more about search engine algorithms and check photos through VPN and image search. This can be done by right-clicking on the image to save it, then heading to Google Images to use the “Search by image” feature.

4. They’re Trying to Transfer You to Messenger Communication

Scammers aim to quickly shift conversations with their victims from the secure, monitored confines of a dating site’s messaging system to less regulated channels such as Skype or email. They are aware that it’s just a matter of time before the dating platform’s moderation processes identify and block them. Therefore, their initial communication with a potential victim often includes instructions for moving the conversation off the platform.

It’s important to recognize that on platforms where messaging is a premium feature, non-scamming members who wish to avoid fees may try to move conversations to external channels as well. Nonetheless, this behavior is a significant red flag for potential scams and should not be dismissed lightly. Any profile engaging in this behavior warrants closer examination to confirm its authenticity.

5. Profile Has No Friends or Followers

Fake profiles, often created for catfishing, typically don’t invest time in forming friendships. To verify the authenticity of a dating profile, search for the same individual on Instagram, Facebook, and Twitter. If the profile appears to be fraudulent on one platform, it’s likely the case on others too. Evaluate whether they have a reasonable ratio of followers to following; a genuine account usually does. Additionally, fake accounts may have followers who also appear inauthentic. Genuine connections often follow each other across various social networks, so observe if there’s crossover among their followers. Also, check if they are mentioned or tagged in their followers’ content, as this can be a telltale sign of an authentic social presence.

6. Pay Attention to Geolocation

Determining the authenticity of an account can often begin with analyzing the IP address used for site access. This step provides insights into the user’s geographical location. While this method is not infallible in identifying fraudulent activities, given that sophisticated scammers frequently use proxies to conceal their true locations, it remains a valuable piece of the verification puzzle.

Highlighting the importance of IP analysis, it serves as one of several indicators that contribute to understanding whether an account may be legitimate.

For more comprehensive details on this and other verification markers, our help page offers a list of criteria that can be used to streamline the moderation process. By setting specific parameters, content that meets certain conditions can be flagged for further review by your moderation team. Additionally, should your policy include geographical restrictions, you have the option to block content from being published based on the originating IP address.

Conclusion

Caution is what will save you from most fraudulent schemes. You just need to double-check the information, subject it to critical thinking and be careful about any requests. It’s better to spend an extra 10 minutes checking your profile than face financial or emotional consequences.