Multiple Faces Detected
June 11th, 2020
Dating sites are continuously spiking in popularity as people become more and more desperate to find the one that they are supposed to be with, especially in the LGBT community. Gay and bisexual/pansexual men are looking for ways to meet other men, and have found that online dating is the best way to go. There are no awkward confrontations in public places when a guy isn’t interested or is straight, and is just overall the best way to meet people when single LGBT men are busy with their everyday lives. However, when searching for a partner on popular dating app Grindr, men of the LGBT community should definitely beware of Grindr scams.
What is Grindr?
One app that has spiked in popularity is Grindr, which is a geolocation-based app that is geared toward gay and bisexual/pansexual men. In this app, you get a list of guys’ pictures and are able to tap on the guy you want to talk to. The distance of how far the guy is from you is also listed under his picture. You can then discuss if you want to meet if you feel comfortable and possibly meet your future partner.
However, with any dating app comes scams that any gay or bisexual/pansexual man should be aware of. Don’t get yourself wrapped up in losing out on your money, or getting assaulted by people you don’t know.
Types of Grindr Scams
Phishing Grindr Scams
There are scammers who pretend to be a part of the Grindr user safety team. The scammers then message users claiming that there is a secret membership that you can purchase for Grindr which allows users to use “special secret services.” However, Grindr has stated that there are no special services and that the only services being offered are listed on their main page.
It turns out that once you buy this secret membership, the scammers have your bank account information on file and can then steal thousands of dollars from you. Grindr is working on banning these accounts and encourages people to report any suspicious accounts so that they can prevent their users from getting scammed.
Under 18 Scams
The scammer pretends to be an 18-21-year-old man looking to meet people and starts having a conversation with you. He then says that he really likes you and wants to get your phone number, since Grindr is glitchy on his phone, uses too much battery, or some other made-up excuse. Once you start texting what you think is a potential boyfriend over text, he then asks for nude pictures and starts getting intimate with you.
As soon as you send him nude images, he searches up your phone number and finds out your name, address, your work location, and family’s names. You then receive a call in the next week or so from a so-called “investigator” stating that you had sent your explicit photos to a minor. The investigator states that either you give him money to forget the whole thing or he will go to the authorities and report you while also posting your nude photos online. The investigator will also request that you pay them using a prepaid money card so that the money is untraceable.
Romance Scams
A scammer messages you pretending to be interested in you and forms a relationship with you quickly. Once he gains your trust and you start falling for him, he then requests that you send him money for an emergency, or some other excuse and convinces you that he needs help. Once you give him money, he then asks for more money and comes up with another excuse. This cycle then continues until you run out of money and can’t give him anymore.
The scammer then stops talking to you and moves on to his next victim. He also refuses to video chat with you, making up several excuses as to how his camera is broken, and can’t meet up with you usually because he’s working overseas in the military or another profession.
Advertising “DiCaprio” Scams
Scammers would buy regular banner ads on Grindr, and then modify the coding so that it looked like a Roku banner ad. They would then sell it to real advertisers claiming that they are buying advertising space for a Roku ad. This was one of the most elaborate schemes seen on this app, since a Roku video space costs 25 times more than a normal ad so it was a way for scammers to make a lot of money quickly. The only way you should be buying ad space on Grindr is through their official advertising page.
How to Avoid Grindr Scams
- Don’t give him your personal information.
- Don’t give him money for any reason.
- Look out for heavily edited or supermodel status pictures.
- Report suspicious accounts.
- Only purchase memberships and advertising space through the direct Grindr website.
If you feel like you’ve been talking to a scammer on Grindr and have been a victim of Grindr scams, Social Catfish is here to help you find out who you’ve been talking to. All we need is the scammer’s name, email address, phone number, username, or image of the scammer to reverse search them and see who you were really talking to.
