Dating apps are a great way to make fulfilling connections with others, but with that, comes a level of vulnerability. It takes courage to show your honest self on your profile, to start a chat, or to ask someone out on a date. For the most part, everyone is there for the right reasons, but, unfortunately, a select few use dating apps to take advantage of genuine daters through romance scams. At Badoo, we want to equip you with the knowledge you need to protect yourself while dating online, and highlight the tools we have in place to help you do so.

What is a romance scam?

A romance scam is when someone claims to be romantically interested in another person for financial gain. The scammer manipulates the other person’s emotions by pretending to be interested in a real relationship. Romance scams can happen online or in real life.

How can you spot a romance scam?

Here are some red flags that may indicate someone is trying to use romance to scam you:

Catfish alert

Their profile or photos seem a little off, or they share stories or experiences that don't add up.

Let’s take this elsewhere…

They want to move your chat away from Badoo quickly, asking for your phone number or email address.

Love is blind

They seem to avoid video calls or meet for a date IRL, using lots of different excuses.

Fast and furious

Things get way too serious, way too soon. They might express strong feelings for you extremely quickly, or use a pet name from the start (because they’re probably talking to many other people).

Check this out

They send you links that look suspicious or unfamiliar.

It’s a mystery

They ask a lot of personal questions, but never answer yours.

Money, money, money

They ask you for money or bank details. Romance scammers will often create a (fictional) reason why they need your help; for example, they’ve lost a loved one, or they’ve been in an accident or in hospital. Be extra cautious with long-distance relationships too, even if you feel like you can trust the person you’ve connected with.

Remember…never share these details:

• Passwords to your accounts
• Card details, including your PIN
• Last name
• Home address
• Work address
• Email address

What Badoo does to protect you

Badoo proactively blocks almost 95% of scam profiles* so you can date safely. Even so, if someone seems suspicious or makes you feel uncomfortable or unsafe, you can block and report them at any time on the app. They won’t be able to message you again. Reports are anonymous, so the person you report won’t know you flagged their account.

How to block and report someone:

• Open your chat with them and tap the 3 dots in the top right-hand corner. (If you’re browsing, tap the 3 dots in the top right-hand corner of their profile.)
• Tap Block and report.
• Choose your reason and make sure you add any comments. That way, it’ll be easier for us to take action.

Badoo encourages you to verify your profile to keep everyone safe and make it easy to build real connections. You can also choose to filter by verified profiles – which means you’ll only see other people who are verified.

If you think that you’ve spotted a fake profile on Badoo, we have guidance on what to do next here. Romance scammers may not always pretend to be someone else, however, so if you think you’ve spotted a scam profile, you can learn more here.

If you’re ever unsure about the person you’re speaking to on Badoo, you can also utilise our video chat feature to make sure they’re the real deal.

Don’t be embarrassed if you’ve been a target of romance scamming – you’re not alone.

More useful information about protecting yourself online can be found on Badoo’s Safety Centre, and if you need to get in touch with us for any reason, you can do so by selecting ‘Get Help From Badoo’ in the profile section of the app. We’re here for you.

*% scam profiles blocked before receiving any reports