Is Tinder Safe in 2022?
This article will tell you the dangers of Tinder and suspicious things to look out for when using the dating app and ways to stay safe while still swiping left and right.
I went to five weddings this summer and four out the five weddings were couples who met through Tinder!
With online dating more popular than ever, especially in this post-Covid-19 world, is using Tinder a safe way to meet your significant other?
Is using an online dating app such as Tinder any safer than meeting your partner at work, or at a bar?
Scammers
You might think you are smart enough to not fall victim to an internet love scam but sometimes you think with your heart rather than your brain, especially when it comes to true love.
A popular Tinder scam involves someone pretending to be in the military and scamming their partner out of thousands of dollars for fictional hospital bills or airline tickets for flights they always just happen to miss.
Look out for evidence of spam-bots which usually generate generic statements and misspelled words.
Sex Offenders and Other Dangers
Were you aware that ten percent of Tinder users are sex offenders? Recently Tinder and other dating apps were under scrutiny because they were not screening for sex offenders.
A sex offender can be anyone who committed a sexual crime against an adult, child, or family member. Also, more than 25 percent of rapists use dating apps to find their victims.
Anyone who committed a sexual offense can be found on the National Sex Offender Registry. The National Sex Offender Registry is the record of all the people who committed a sexual offense and information on their crimes.
One way to help ensure your safety when using Tinder is to search for your potential partner’s name on the National Sex Offender Registry’s website.
Look them up on social media
You can also get a feel of who your match is as a person by looking them up on social media.
Who cares if it’s creepy. Your match never has to be known and if everything works out, you’ll have a cute story to tell the grandkids, “Did I ever tell you about the time I stalked your granddad to make sure he wasn’t a serial killer?”
Speaking of serial killers it seems as if every day there is a new news report with the same old headline which reads, “Tinder Murder!”
In New York City a man was recently arrested in Queens for using Tinder as a tool to lure his victims.
This past July a woman was convicted of first-degree murder along with her husband for murdering a young lady she lured there under the guise of a one on one date.
Not Limited to Tinder
Unfortunately, sexual assault and murder aren’t limited to Tinder and affect everyone no matter where they are meeting their dates whether it be on Tinder or if they’re someone you meet while out at the club.
The only thing you can do when using Tinder is to do everything you can to ensure your safety.
Steps before meeting someone
Here are some simple steps you can follow before meeting your match on Tinder:
1 Like I said before, stalk their social media!
Of course, you can’t really get to know a person over social media but you can get a feel of their personality and can tell if you two will mesh while out on your date or will you be staring off in the distance, awkwardly quiet.
2 Message back and forth with your match before you decide to meet up.
See what their general interests are and what things you might have in common. Going out on a date with someone you have barely messaged is another great way to sit in that dreaded awkward silence.
3 You should meet in a public place during your first date.
Also, make arrangements to meet wherever your date is. Make sure you have your own transportation to and from the date so you are always in control of when you leave.
It is also a good idea to not give your address out to someone you haven’t really gotten to know yet.
4 Always tell someone where you are going.
Whether it be a parent, sibling, or friend, make sure someone always knows where you are while out on your date.
Texting them updates about the status of the night every so often is another good idea.
5 This is the most important step of all, trust your gut!
If you feel like this person isn’t a good match for you, then you do not have to meet them. Do not let anyone pressure you into putting yourself in an uncomfortable situation.
You do not owe these strangers anything. When you swipe right on the right one they will not pressure you into doing anything you don’t want to do.
