Tinder users beware! The popular dating app doesn't generally verify its users' accounts, but that hasn't stopped spammers from pretending to offer the service.
In recent weeks, automated bots disguised as Tinder profiles have been telling real users to "verify" their accounts as part of a clever scam to sell porn, said last Thursday.
Spam bots first send flirty messages, only to ask if Tinder has verified the user.
It's a free service. The spam bot will claim: “to verify that the person you want to meet is not a serial killer lol.”
The spam bot will then send a link to a website called “Tinder Safe Dating.” But in reality, the service aims to trick users into revealing their payment information, Symantec said.
This is accomplished by requesting credit card information, claiming this will verify the user's age.
"If the user is not careful, they may overlook important details in the fine print," Symantec adds. The service actually signs the user up for free trials of online porn.
Unless free trials are canceled, the user will later be charged US $118.76 per month.
The scammers are likely receiving a commission for each “signup,” Symantec said. The security firm has found 13 “Tinder Safe Dating” websites and reported them to the domain name registrar .
Tinder offers verified badges, but only to certain public figures, celebrities, and brands. Users who want to confirm their authenticity will need to connect their Tinder account to Instagram, the app's developers say.
Spam bots, however, have been a problem on the app for years. Past scams have attempted to redirect users to mobile games and adult cam sites.
Tinder warns users to avoid messages that contain links to third-party websites or ask for money or an address.
