Woman asks for ₹1K on Tinder, threatens with rape charges; shocking exchange goes viral [details]

While finding a soulmate or life partner or simply a date on Tinder or Bumble may not always be possible, it is quite likely to find trouble if one is not cautious enough.

In one such instance brought to light by filmmaker and equal rights activist Deepika Narayan Bharadwaj on social media platform X, she shares screenshots of chats between two Tinder users. In the chat a girl named Tanya asks a boy named Praveen for monetary help of one thousand rupees. With both of them fairly unknown to each other, the boy does not fall for the trap and instead asks for the girl's id before any transaction can take place.

Going by the screenshots, it is then that the girl resorts to using abuses followed by threats of teaching him a lesson. In the thread it is also mentioned that on Facebook, a user by the name Sakshi Singh shares details of the man, calls him a rapist, an abuser and makes his number public. For anyone not discerning enough as to who they start a chat with can be scammed and threatened into submission, regardless of the gender.

Age old question of safety on dating apps

This is not the first time that anonymity offered by online platforms and dating apps has brought out the ugly side of those hiding behind the screens. It's easier to scam people with their guard down while under the garb of friendship and love. This is also not the first instance when safety measures by dating apps have come under the scanner. What are they doing in the name of users' safety and more importantly, is that enough?

Most apps resort to automated and manual moderation and review tools tn ensure the app is free of inappropriate content and language. While accounts and users can be banned by individuals, there is still a big question mark over how millions of dubious profiles and scamsters find their way online. Opines a user on X, "The dating apps should at least ask for some form of id to be submitted and a real time selfie before they can allow the creation of an account. The number of fake profiles on the site is seriously discouraging for any new user."

Surge in scams on dating apps 

In April of this year, a Connecticut man in the USA strangled his Tinder date to death. He was charged with murder, sexual misconduct, grand larceny and several other crimes in the shocking strangulation. The victim, a NY city nurse, had met the man on Tinder and gone on a date with him. It is not just compatibility issues or incidents like date rapes that users should beware of. In a similar case, a private firm employee in Bengaluru had accused her Tinder match of fraud worth Rs 4.5 lakh. The scammer had allegedly convinced her that he stayed in the UK and was coming to India only to meet her and tricked her into depositing Rs 4.5 lakh with him.

Statistics are a testimony of the rising popularity of these apps. Reportedly, more than 40 million Americans use online dating apps as it has become the most common way couples in the US meet. India is no different with some estimates pegging the Indian market at 82.4 million users in 2023. With the widespread use arises the question of users' safety as the popularity of the platform makes it a fertile ground for online scammers. Bumble's security measures are comparatively more extensive, with the app encouraging users to report any profile or match which feels, "unsafe or dangerous." How often is action taken against reported accounts remains a non transparent area.

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