Fake profiles and romance scams are a known risk wherever people meet online, on dating apps and matrimony sites alike, but they follow patterns that are easier to see once you know them. Here is what to look for, how to check, and what to do in India if something goes wrong.

What are the signs of a fake dating profile?

The clearest signs are in how someone behaves, not how they look: a fake profile is built to win your trust quickly and then move you somewhere you can be pressured. Watch for these:

  • Photos that look too polished. Every picture looks like a magazine shoot, there are only one or two, or none show them in an ordinary moment with friends or family.
  • A thin or generic profile. Few details, vague answers, or a description that doesn’t match the photos.
  • A rush to leave the app. They want your number, or to move to WhatsApp or Telegram, within the first few messages.
  • No video call, ever. The camera is broken, the signal is bad, they are posted abroad, and there is always a reason not to meet.
  • Strong feelings, very fast. Talk of love, destiny or marriage within days, before you have met.
  • A story that doesn’t add up. Details about their job, city or family shift from one conversation to the next.
  • A sudden problem only you can solve. An emergency, a fee or a frozen account, followed by a request for money.

In October 2026, Match Group, which owns Tinder and Hinge, announced a romance-scam awareness campaign in India with the Indian Cybercrime Coordination Centre (I4C) of the Ministry of Home Affairs, according to Indian Television. It highlights five warning signs: a new connection pushing the conversation away from the dating platform, someone whose identity is hard to verify, unsolicited investment advice, requests for money, and building emotional trust before making financial demands.

What do dating scams in India usually look like?

They usually end in a request for money, wrapped in a story that makes saying no feel unkind. The I4C campaign warns about people who build emotional trust first and then make financial demands, and it asks people not to send money, gift cards or investments to anyone they have met only online, according to Indian Television. Some scams start with an emergency; others with friendly investment or trading tips.

What they might say Why it’s a warning sign
“Let’s move to WhatsApp, I’m hardly on this app” Leaves the app’s reporting and blocking tools behind
“I’m stuck at the hospital or airport, I’ll pay you back” An emergency designed to rush you
“I’ve made a lot on this trading app, let me help you” Investment scams can start with friendly tips
“Can you buy a gift card and send me the code?” Codes can be spent quickly and are hard to get back
“I sent you a gift, you just need to pay the customs fee” A fee for a parcel that doesn’t exist
“Send me a photo, just for me”, then threats Sextortion: images are used to demand money

Nishant Kumar, director of I4C, said that scammers create false identities on dating apps and matrimonial websites to play on people’s emotions and push them into urgent money transfers, as reported by Indian Television.

How can you check whether someone is real?

Ask for a short video call, search their photos with a reverse image search, and see whether the details they give you hold together.

  1. Search their photos. Upload one or two of their pictures to a search engine’s image search. If the same face appears under another name, or on a model’s or influencer’s page, the photos are probably borrowed. Finding nothing doesn’t prove anything either way.
  2. Have a video call. A few minutes is enough. Someone using stolen photos has every reason to avoid one, so a person who keeps postponing is telling you something.
  3. Check the small details. Ask friendly, specific questions about their work or neighbourhood, and notice whether the answers stay the same. Mutual friends you can confirm are a good sign.
  4. Know what the badge means. Find out what a verification badge on that app actually checks. Usually it means a real person matched their photos, not that their story is true.
  5. Go at your own pace. Scams depend on urgency. Anyone who gets angry when you slow down has answered your question.

What should you do if a match asks you for money?

Don’t send it, however good the reason sounds, and don’t share anything that can be used to take it: bank, card or UPI details, one-time codes, or gift card numbers. Don’t install an app or open a link they send, and don’t agree to share your screen.

Then tell a friend. Scams depend on keeping you to yourself, and saying the story out loud often makes the problem obvious. Report the profile in the app, and stop replying.

What should you do if you’ve been scammed or threatened in India?

Act quickly: stop contact, keep the evidence, report the person in the app, and report the fraud to the National Cybercrime Helpline on 1930 or on the National Cyber Crime Reporting Portal at cybercrime.gov.in.

  1. If you have sent money, call 1930 and your bank straight away. In October 2026 Hyderabad police advised anyone who suspects cyber fraud to call 1930 or report it at cybercrime.gov.in, because prompt reporting may help banks and the authorities act on fraudulent transactions, as Business Today reported.
  2. Keep everything. Take screenshots of their profile, your chats, phone numbers, usernames and payment or UPI transaction IDs before you block them, and note the dates.
  3. Report them in the app, so the account can be removed before they reach someone else.
  4. File a complaint online on the National Cyber Crime Reporting Portal at cybercrime.gov.in, with your screenshots and transaction IDs.
  5. If someone threatens to share intimate images, don’t pay. Keep the messages, report them, and if you are an adult, consider StopNCII, a tool from a UK non-profit. TechCrunch reported in September 2025 that it creates a digital fingerprint (a hash) of an image on your own device, the image itself stays there, and partner platforms, including Facebook, Instagram, TikTok and Reddit, use the fingerprint to find and remove copies.
  6. If you are in danger, call 112. It is India’s national emergency number.

Being scammed is not a sign that you were foolish. These are practised schemes, built to work on kind, trusting people.

Does verification stop fake profiles?

Verification makes fake profiles harder to create, but it can’t tell you whether a real person means well. In India, Tinder and Hinge both ask for a video selfie at registration, to help detect fake profiles, duplicate accounts and repeat scammers, according to Global Dating Insights in October 2026. That is a real step, and worth knowing if you prefer a large, open app.

At MeAndWho Club, an AI-assisted matchmaker opening first in Bengaluru (not yet in the app stores), everyone you can be introduced to has passed a phone check and a live selfie check, one face can hold only one account, and at least one photo on every introduction card must match the person’s selfie. There is no feed and no search, so nobody can browse members, and during our pilot a person checks every introduction before it reaches you. Chat is text only, in the app, and your phone number isn’t shown to anyone.

What verification doesn’t do is vet behaviour. It doesn’t check someone’s intentions, job or relationship status, and we don’t check criminal records. So the same care applies: if a member asks you for money, report them under “Asking for money or a scam”. Reporting blocks them for you, they are removed from new introductions straight away, and we aim to review the report within 24 hours. Read how verification works and how reporting works, and before you meet anyone, see our first-date safety tips.

Sources

Questions people ask

Can a verified dating profile still belong to a scammer?

Yes. A verification badge usually shows that a real person took a selfie or video check and looks like their photos. It doesn’t show what they want from you. Someone can pass every check and still lie about their job, their relationship status or a sudden emergency. Treat a badge as one good sign, keep the chat in the app, and treat any request for money as a reason to stop and report, whatever badges they have.

Is it a red flag if a match wants to move to WhatsApp straight away?

On its own it isn’t proof of a scam, but an early push to leave the app is one of the warning signs the Indian Cybercrime Coordination Centre’s campaign with Match Group highlights. Once you leave the app, its reporting and blocking tools no longer cover the conversation, and the other person has your number. Say you’d rather keep chatting where you met until you’ve had a video call or met in person. Someone genuine will usually be fine with that.

Can I get my money back after a dating scam?

Sometimes, and your chances are better the faster you act. Call the cybercrime helpline on 1930 and your bank straight away, then file a complaint at cybercrime.gov.in with the transaction details. Hyderabad police advised in October 2026, as Business Today reported, that prompt reporting may help banks and the authorities act on fraudulent transactions. Be wary of anyone who contacts you offering to recover the money for a fee: that can be a second scam.

What should I do if someone threatens to share my intimate photos?

Don’t pay or send anything more: paying is no promise the threats will stop, and it can lead to more demands. Stop replying, but keep the messages, usernames and any payment details as evidence. Report the account in the app and file a complaint at cybercrime.gov.in, or call 1930. If you are an adult, StopNCII can create a digital fingerprint of an image on your own device and share only that with partner platforms, so they can find and remove copies. If you feel in danger, call 112.

How do I do a reverse image search on a dating profile photo?

Save or screenshot one of their photos, then upload it to a search engine’s image search instead of typing words. Look at where else the same face appears: under a different name, on a model’s or influencer’s page, or on a stock photo site. Try two or three photos. Finding nothing doesn’t prove someone is real, and some apps block screenshots of profiles, so a short video call is still the better check.