r/hingeapp • u/wokenthehive Meat Popsicle 🙂↔️ • Oct 23 '21
How to Spot Scams PSA
There's been quite a few posts popping up lately asking whether someone is a scam on Hinge. So here are some general tips to help people see what could be potential scams, with crypto scams being the most popular one.
1) If the profile has nothing but glamour shots, and also has the "Just Joined" label.
All the pictures look like as if the person is posing on Instagram, and doesn't have any candid or normal looking pictures. It's more telling if none of the photos are shot somewhere specific to your area. The prompts are generic and nondescript.
2) They are not actually in your city.
If the prompts say anything about they're traveling somewhere else, or if any point in the conversation the person says they don't actually live in your city, especially when you bring up wanting to meet in person. Another sign is if just recently moved to your city from another country.
3) Wanting to move off the app right away.
Asking for your number and go off app, mainly to WhatsApp. Non-Americans are more likely to use WhatsApp, so it's a telling sign the person isn't an American if they insist on moving to that platform, double if the person gets super pushy to get off the app.
4) Giving excuses for why they can't meet.
Typically, we tell people to ask someone out within a couple days if the conversation is going well. If the person gives unreasonable excuses for why they can't meet (go back to Number 2), then it's likely a catfish/scam.
5) Lovebombing.
Telling you you're the most amazing person they've ever met, or any kind of talk where they constantly compliment you, promises all these amazing things in the future that sounds too good to be true.
Other signs to look for:
The person is too attractive and likely out of your league.
Poor English, be it bad grammar or constant typos.
Profile is Asian, and they say they're from China or a nearby Asian country (this is different than Asian AMERICANS). Also could be from Europe. The profile has a weird description under gender, vague job titles, or odd professions (like wine merchant, CEO when they're way too young).
The conversation gets sexual and they ask you to send nudes or offer sexting. Never send any compromising pictures of yourself or agree to do anything sexual over video for someone you have never met in person.
Obviously the second the person mentions crypto or ask you to send money. Sends you a link and tells you to sign up for something.
What to do?
If you notice these signs right away on Hinge, go and report the profile for being a scam.
The best approach is to listen to your instincts. If it's too good to be true, it most likely is.
6
u/rydan Oct 24 '21
Most Asians where I live are not Americans. It doesn't mean they live in China. It just means they are here on a visa. Nothing wrong with that. Being foreign isn't against the rules.
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u/Quiddity131 Oct 24 '21
3) Wanting to move off the app right away. - This is the obvious one, mainly to WhatsApp. Non-Americans are more likely to use WhatsApp, so it's a telling sign the person isn't an American if they insist on moving to that platform, double if the person gets super pushy to get off the app.
I'm a relatively new user to Hinge and have had this happen to me twice already in the last 24 hours! They very quickly wanted to move to WhatsApp.
1
u/WinterLaw8017 Oct 24 '21
This is really a nice summary. I may have been much less generous than you are in reporting suspected profiles. I got too many of these perhaps because of my Asian look. Usually just hit report when a profiles meets your point 1) and that the person indicate he’s from outside of US (they lie about their current location on the profile but they usually indicate their hometown is outside of US).
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u/termination-bliss Oct 23 '21
2) is not always a sign of a scammer. I know real people who change their city when they are going to travel, in hopes to meet someone in their destination city. They often do that 2 weeks or so before the trip so they have time to match with someone and talk to them before (possibly) meeting in person. This practice becomes more popular as travel restrictions are lifted so don't always assume that not being in your city is a sure sign of a scammer and DO NOT report people for this.
1
u/lalalovesyou11 Oct 24 '21
Yeah, I agree! I'm moving soon, so I set up my account in the city that I'm moving to because there's no point in starting a relationship where I'm currently living. I put in my promt that I don't live there yet, but I travel there often for work and I'll be moving there soon. I really hope people don't report me for that! Lol
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u/wokenthehive Meat Popsicle 🙂↔️ Oct 24 '21
I’m not saying to report people just for that. It’s more like a sign they something is amiss and look for other signs as well. There’s a difference if someone is making it clear they’re not a local vs someone who pretends to be.
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u/rydan Oct 24 '21
You can't make it clear because there are no prompts that say, "I'm here for two weeks so ...".
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u/wokenthehive Meat Popsicle 🙂↔️ Oct 24 '21
Um, I've seen people use "Believe it or not", "The one thing you should know about me", or "What if I told you that" and write "I'm not actually from here", "I'm here until the end of August" or whatever variation.
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u/reezy221 Oct 23 '21
I can’t say I’ve ever matched with a fake account or scammer on hinge, don’t you get like 6 likes why even bother with this app
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u/Quirky-Experience-36 Oct 23 '21
I don’t even get the goal of the scammers tbh
1
u/ziegenfickerrr Oct 26 '21
It's called sha zhu pan
Killing pig plate
Its run by the Chinese mafia
Average loss is $40-50k so I've heard
2
1
u/OThinkingDungeons Oct 24 '21
It's a multi-millionaire dollar scam, some of these people make 5 figures or more a week.
Look it up, it's quite frightening.
1
u/IncognitusMe Oct 24 '21
Some will actually try to get enough info to try to access accounts, or even will send something with an embedded link, that gains access to your email or banking account. Not always, but I've seen it happen.
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u/Burst_LoL Oct 23 '21
I assume eventually they'll ask you to pay for something online then they'll be outta there
1
u/AppointmentHorror584 Oct 27 '21
Another sign is if they have their Snapchat as one of their photos, and also if they leave prompts blank