{"id":405310,"date":"2022-02-13T17:47:39","date_gmt":"2022-02-13T14:47:39","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/en.buradabiliyorum.com\/5-warning-signs-to-help-you-spot-the-next-tinder-swindler\/"},"modified":"2022-02-13T17:47:39","modified_gmt":"2022-02-13T14:47:39","slug":"5-warning-signs-to-help-you-spot-the-next-tinder-swindler","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/buradabiliyorum.com\/en\/5-warning-signs-to-help-you-spot-the-next-tinder-swindler\/","title":{"rendered":"#5 warning signs to help you spot the next Tinder Swindler"},"content":{"rendered":"<div id=\"ez-toc-container\" class=\"ez-toc-v2_0_85 counter-hierarchy ez-toc-counter ez-toc-custom ez-toc-container-direction\">\n<p class=\"ez-toc-title\" style=\"cursor:inherit\">Table of Contents<\/p>\n<label for=\"ez-toc-cssicon-toggle-item-6a3df40457805\" class=\"ez-toc-cssicon-toggle-label\"><span class=\"\"><span class=\"eztoc-hide\" style=\"display:none;\">Toggle<\/span><span class=\"ez-toc-icon-toggle-span\"><svg style=\"fill: #dd3333;color:#dd3333\" xmlns=\"http:\/\/www.w3.org\/2000\/svg\" class=\"list-377408\" width=\"20px\" height=\"20px\" viewBox=\"0 0 24 24\" fill=\"none\"><path d=\"M6 6H4v2h2V6zm14 0H8v2h12V6zM4 11h2v2H4v-2zm16 0H8v2h12v-2zM4 16h2v2H4v-2zm16 0H8v2h12v-2z\" fill=\"currentColor\"><\/path><\/svg><svg style=\"fill: #dd3333;color:#dd3333\" class=\"arrow-unsorted-368013\" xmlns=\"http:\/\/www.w3.org\/2000\/svg\" width=\"10px\" height=\"10px\" viewBox=\"0 0 24 24\" version=\"1.2\" baseProfile=\"tiny\"><path d=\"M18.2 9.3l-6.2-6.3-6.2 6.3c-.2.2-.3.4-.3.7s.1.5.3.7c.2.2.4.3.7.3h11c.3 0 .5-.1.7-.3.2-.2.3-.5.3-.7s-.1-.5-.3-.7zM5.8 14.7l6.2 6.3 6.2-6.3c.2-.2.3-.5.3-.7s-.1-.5-.3-.7c-.2-.2-.4-.3-.7-.3h-11c-.3 0-.5.1-.7.3-.2.2-.3.5-.3.7s.1.5.3.7z\"\/><\/svg><\/span><\/span><\/label><input type=\"checkbox\"  id=\"ez-toc-cssicon-toggle-item-6a3df40457805\" checked aria-label=\"Toggle\" \/><nav><ul class='ez-toc-list ez-toc-list-level-1 ' ><li class='ez-toc-page-1 ez-toc-heading-level-2'><a class=\"ez-toc-link ez-toc-heading-1\" href=\"https:\/\/buradabiliyorum.com\/en\/5-warning-signs-to-help-you-spot-the-next-tinder-swindler\/#What_is_romance_fraud\" >What is romance fraud?<\/a><\/li><li class='ez-toc-page-1 ez-toc-heading-level-2'><a class=\"ez-toc-link ez-toc-heading-2\" href=\"https:\/\/buradabiliyorum.com\/en\/5-warning-signs-to-help-you-spot-the-next-tinder-swindler\/#Why_do_victims_send_money\" >Why do victims send money?<\/a><\/li><li class='ez-toc-page-1 ez-toc-heading-level-2'><a class=\"ez-toc-link ez-toc-heading-3\" href=\"https:\/\/buradabiliyorum.com\/en\/5-warning-signs-to-help-you-spot-the-next-tinder-swindler\/#%E2%80%98Id_never_fall_for_it\" >\u2018I\u2019d never fall for it\u2019<\/a><\/li><li class='ez-toc-page-1 ez-toc-heading-level-2'><a class=\"ez-toc-link ez-toc-heading-4\" href=\"https:\/\/buradabiliyorum.com\/en\/5-warning-signs-to-help-you-spot-the-next-tinder-swindler\/#How_can_I_prevent_it_happening_to_me\" >How can I prevent it happening to me?<\/a><\/li><\/ul><\/nav><\/div>\n<p>&#8220;<strong>#5 warning signs to help you spot the next Tinder Swindler<\/strong>&#8221;<\/p>\n<div>\n                            In the chart-topping Netflix documentary <a rel=\"nofollow noopener\" target=\"_blank\" href=\"https:\/\/www.netflix.com\/au\/title\/81254340\">The Tinder Swindler<\/a>, three women describe how they were defrauded by convicted conman Simon Leviev (who was born Shimon Hayut) after meeting him on the dating <a href=\"https:\/\/buradabiliyorum.com\/en\/category\/download-scripts-themes-apps\/\" data-internallinksmanager029f6b8e52c=\"9\" title=\"Download Scripts &amp; Themes &amp; Apps\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\">app<\/a>.<\/p>\n<p>The film gives a detailed and deeply personal account of how Leviev used Tinder to connect with his victims and ultimately swindle them out of hundreds of thousands of dollars.<\/p>\n<p>I have been <a rel=\"nofollow noopener\" target=\"_blank\" href=\"https:\/\/link.springer.com\/referenceworkentry\/10.1007\/978-3-319-90307-1_41-1\">researching romance fraud<\/a> for more than a decade. I have heard the painful and traumatic stories of hundreds of victims. While each story is unique, there are common factors, and some wider lessons to learn.<\/p>\n<p>The Tinder Swindler is a powerful example of what can go wrong, but what does it teach us about romance fraud, and how can you avoid becoming the next victim?<\/p>\n<h2><span class=\"ez-toc-section\" id=\"What_is_romance_fraud\"><\/span>What is romance fraud?<span class=\"ez-toc-section-end\"><\/span><\/h2>\n<p>Romance fraudsters use the guise of a personal relationship to exploit their victim\u2019s trust and gain a financial advantage (or sometimes, as ASIO this week <a rel=\"nofollow noopener\" target=\"_blank\" href=\"https:\/\/www.abc.net.au\/news\/2022-02-09\/asio-threat-assessment-dating-apps-foreign-spies-covid-protests\/100817850\">warned<\/a>, to access private or classified information).<\/p>\n<p>It typically happens online, through a dating website or app, or <a href=\"https:\/\/buradabiliyorum.com\/en\/category\/social-mediaa\/\" data-internallinksmanager029f6b8e52c=\"1\" title=\"Social Media\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\">social media<\/a> platform. In many cases, the victim and offender never actually meet. However, as The Tinder Swindler shows, it can also happen in face-to-face relationships.<\/p>\n<p>Romance fraudsters use a range of skillful grooming techniques, social engineering practices, and psychological abuse tactics to gain compliance from their victims.<\/p>\n<p>Leviev successfully manipulated several women by posing as the son of a diamond magnate, before claiming his family was being violently threatened and asking his victims to take out loans on his behalf to help deal with a purported security emergency.<\/p>\n<p>Each of his actions was deliberate and purposeful, and is reflected across known offending patterns more broadly. Here are some <a rel=\"nofollow noopener\" target=\"_blank\" href=\"https:\/\/link.springer.com\/referenceworkentry\/10.1007\/978-3-319-90307-1_41-1\">typical tactics<\/a>, all of which were used by Leviev:<\/p>\n<ol>\n<li>Create an attractive profile and identity that exudes power, wealth, and status.<\/li>\n<li>\u201cLove-bomb\u201d victims with grand expressions of affection, including moving rapidly towards being \u201ca couple\u201d and discussing a possible future together.<\/li>\n<li>Manufacture an \u201cemergency\u201d that urgently requires financial help \u2013 this might be a business situation, medical problem or criminal justice issue such as claiming to have been arrested overseas.<\/li>\n<li>Escalate these financial demands over time, typically by asking victims to transfer money, register credit cards or take out bank loans.<\/li>\n<li>Threaten, abuse, or otherwise coerce the victim if they refuse.<\/li>\n<\/ol>\n<h2><span class=\"ez-toc-section\" id=\"Why_do_victims_send_money\"><\/span>Why do victims send money?<span class=\"ez-toc-section-end\"><\/span><\/h2>\n<p>Watching from the safety of your living room couch, it\u2019s easy to say \u201cI wouldn\u2019t go along with that\u201d. But we must not underestimate a skilled offender\u2019s ability to identify a weakness or vulnerability and exploit it mercilessly.<\/p>\n<p>Using surveys with victims and non-victims, <a rel=\"nofollow noopener\" target=\"_blank\" href=\"https:\/\/www.liebertpub.com\/doi\/10.1089\/cyber.2016.0729\">research<\/a> has revealed a handful of traits associated with falling victim to romance fraud. Crucially, people with higher levels of <a rel=\"nofollow noopener\" target=\"_blank\" href=\"https:\/\/www.tandfonline.com\/doi\/abs\/10.1080\/1068316X.2013.772180\">romanticized beliefs<\/a>, or who believe in the idea of \u201ctrue love\u201d, are more likely to become victims.<\/p>\n<p>Several victims I spoke with could identify a particular reason that prompted their initial decision to engage with an offender. It may have been the loss of a previous relationship or a change in life circumstances (such as retirement or children leaving home). In many cases, a split-second decision to swipe right on a profile, or respond to a friendly message, changed their lives forever.<\/p>\n<p>Someone\u2019s level of vulnerability to fraud is not static; it can change on a monthly, weekly, or even daily basis. Many victims would not have been deceived had they seen the message at a different time. Offenders target hundreds of victims in the hope of a single success.<\/p>\n<p>My research has also found many offenders use <a rel=\"nofollow noopener\" target=\"_blank\" href=\"https:\/\/eprints.qut.edu.au\/118434\/\">psychological abuse<\/a> techniques similar to those commonly found in domestic violence. Offenders might prevent victims from communicating with family and friends, bombard them with messages to monopolize their attention, or verbally abuse them to make them feel worthless. All these tactics impair a victim\u2019s ability to think clearly about their situation or seek help.<\/p>\n<h2><span class=\"ez-toc-section\" id=\"%E2%80%98Id_never_fall_for_it\"><\/span>\u2018I\u2019d never fall for it\u2019<span class=\"ez-toc-section-end\"><\/span><\/h2>\n<p>No victim wakes up in the morning thinking \u201cI am going to give away all my money today\u201d. Instead, it\u2019s the result of a painstaking grooming process. Offenders, having earned their victim\u2019s trust, will often create realistic-looking contracts, bank statements or official letters to justify their requests for money.<\/p>\n<p>They will typically depict these requests as both urgent and secret, as in the case of Leviev\u2019s \u201csecurity emergency\u201d in which he claimed to be attempting to negotiate business deals while in hiding. This tactic reduces the victim\u2019s ability to respond rationally or seek outside advice.<\/p>\n<p>Victims of romance fraud suffer a wide range of negative impacts, including shame and social stigma. They are often <a rel=\"nofollow noopener\" target=\"_blank\" href=\"https:\/\/eprints.qut.edu.au\/83702\/\">blamed<\/a> and held responsible for their financial losses, and this stereotyping makes it less likely they will report such crimes.<\/p>\n<h2><span class=\"ez-toc-section\" id=\"How_can_I_prevent_it_happening_to_me\"><\/span>How can I prevent it happening to me?<span class=\"ez-toc-section-end\"><\/span><\/h2>\n<p>Online dating is fraught enough without having to worry about financial fraud. It is hard to know someone on a dating app is really who they say they are.<\/p>\n<p>Current <a rel=\"nofollow noopener\" target=\"_blank\" href=\"https:\/\/www.scamwatch.gov.au\/types-of-scams\/dating-romance\">fraud-prevention advice<\/a> focuses on taking the relationship into the real world as soon as you feel ready, and never giving money to someone you haven\u2019t met <span style=\"background-color: rgba(46, 146, 255, 0.2);\">face-to-face<\/span>. But in The Tinder Swindler, this advice is redundant because Leviev, like many offenders, had curated a real-life persona that matched his digital profile.<\/p>\n<p>The truth is that a determined enough fraudster can extend their online lies into the offline world. Meeting someone in person, researching their background, and doing a reverse image search on their profile picture is all good advice \u2013 but it\u2019s not <a rel=\"nofollow noopener\" target=\"_blank\" href=\"https:\/\/journals.sagepub.com\/doi\/10.1177\/0894439321999311\">foolproof<\/a>.<\/p>\n<p>Ultimately, fraud is almost always about money. So consider the motives behind any request for financial help, and never send money you can\u2019t afford to lose. In 2020, Australians lost more than <a rel=\"nofollow noopener\" target=\"_blank\" href=\"https:\/\/www.accc.gov.au\/publications\/targeting-scams-report-on-scam-activity\/targeting-scams-report-of-the-accc-on-scam-activity-2020\">A$131 million<\/a> to romance fraud. It\u2019s a heavy price to pay for chasing true love.<\/p>\n<hr\/>\n<p><em>If you or someone you know has been a victim of romance fraud, you can report it to <a rel=\"nofollow noopener\" target=\"_blank\" href=\"https:\/\/www.cyber.gov.au\/acsc\/report\">ReportCyber<\/a>. For support, contact <a rel=\"nofollow noopener\" target=\"_blank\" href=\"https:\/\/www.idcare.org\/support-services\/individual-support-services\">iDcare<\/a>. For prevention advice, consult <a rel=\"nofollow noopener\" target=\"_blank\" href=\"https:\/\/www.scamwatch.gov.au\/\">Scamwatch<\/a>.<\/em><!-- Below is The Conversation's page counter tag. Please DO NOT REMOVE. --><img decoding=\"async\" loading=\"lazy\" style=\"border: none !important; box-shadow: none !important; margin: 0 !important; max-height: 1px !important; max-width: 1px !important; min-height: 1px !important; min-width: 1px !important; opacity: 0 !important; outline: none !important; padding: 0 !important; text-shadow: none !important;\" alt=\"The Conversation\" width=\"1\" height=\"1\" class=\"js-lazy\" src=\"https:\/\/counter.theconversation.com\/content\/176807\/count.gif?distributor=republish-lightbox-basic\"\/><!-- End of code. If you don't see any code above, please get new code from the Advanced tab after you click the republish button. The page counter does not collect any personal data. More info: https:\/\/theconversation.com\/republishing-guidelines --><\/p>\n<p><noscript><img decoding=\"async\" loading=\"lazy\" style=\"border: none !important; box-shadow: none !important; margin: 0 !important; max-height: 1px !important; max-width: 1px !important; min-height: 1px !important; min-width: 1px !important; opacity: 0 !important; outline: none !important; padding: 0 !important; text-shadow: none !important;\" src=\"https:\/\/counter.theconversation.com\/content\/176807\/count.gif?distributor=republish-lightbox-basic\" alt=\"The Conversation\" width=\"1\" height=\"1\" class=\"\" srcset=\"\"\/><\/noscript><br \/>\n<em>This article by <a rel=\"nofollow noopener\" target=\"_blank\" href=\"https:\/\/theconversation.com\/profiles\/cassandra-cross-122865\">Cassandra Cross<\/a>, Associate Dean (Learning &amp; Teaching) Faculty of Creative Industries, Education and Social Justice, <a rel=\"nofollow noopener\" target=\"_blank\" href=\"https:\/\/theconversation.com\/institutions\/queensland-university-of-technology-847\">Queensland University of Technology<\/a> is republished from <a rel=\"nofollow noopener\" target=\"_blank\" href=\"https:\/\/theconversation.com\">The Conversation<\/a> under a Creative Commons license. Read the <a rel=\"nofollow noopener\" target=\"_blank\" href=\"https:\/\/theconversation.com\/first-the-love-bomb-then-the-financial-emergency-5-tactics-of-tinder-swindlers-176807\">original article<\/a>.<\/em>\n                        <\/div>\n<blockquote><p><strong><span style=\"color: #ff6600;\">If you liked the article, do not forget to share it with your friends. Follow us on\u00a0<span style=\"color: #ff0000;\"><a style=\"color: #ff0000;\" href=\"https:\/\/news.google.com\/publications\/CAAqBwgKMLG0nwswvr63Aw\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"nofollow noopener noreferrer\">Google News<\/a><\/span>\u00a0too, click on the star and choose us from your favorites.<\/span><\/strong><\/p><\/blockquote>\n<blockquote>\n<p style=\"text-align: center;\">For forums sites go to <span style=\"color: #ff9900;\"><a style=\"color: #ff9900;\" href=\"https:\/\/forum.buradabiliyorum.com\/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\">Forum.BuradaBiliyorum.Com<\/a><\/span><\/strong>\n<\/p><\/blockquote>\n<blockquote>\n<p style=\"text-align: center;\"><strong>If you want to read more like this article, you can visit our <span style=\"color: #ff9900;\"><a style=\"color: #ff9900;\" href=\"https:\/\/en.buradabiliyorum.com\/technology\/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\">Technology category.<\/a><\/span><\/strong><\/p>\n<\/blockquote>\n<p><span style=\"color: black;\"><a style=\"color: #ff9900;\" href=\"https:\/\/thenextweb.com\/news\/spot-the-next-tinder-swindler-5-warning-signs\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\">Source<\/a><\/span><\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"<p>&#8220;#5 warning signs to help you spot the next Tinder Swindler&#8221; In the chart-topping Netflix documentary The Tinder Swindler, three women describe how they were defrauded by convicted conman Simon Leviev (who was born Shimon Hayut) after meeting him on the dating app. The film gives a detailed and deeply personal account of how Leviev&#8230;<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":1,"featured_media":405311,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"open","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"fifu_image_url":"https:\/\/img-cdn.tnwcdn.com\/image\/tnw?filter_last=1&fit=1280,640&url=https:\/\/cdn0.tnwcdn.com\/wp-content\/blogs.dir\/1\/files\/2022\/02\/tinder-swindler-1.jpg&signature=f8b310ecfa5a20ce83d41e092d48e980","fifu_image_alt":"","footnotes":""},"categories":[18],"tags":[],"class_list":["post-405310","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","hentry","category-technology"],"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/buradabiliyorum.com\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/405310","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/buradabiliyorum.com\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/buradabiliyorum.com\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/buradabiliyorum.com\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/1"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/buradabiliyorum.com\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=405310"}],"version-history":[{"count":0,"href":"https:\/\/buradabiliyorum.com\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/405310\/revisions"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/buradabiliyorum.com\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media\/405311"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/buradabiliyorum.com\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=405310"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/buradabiliyorum.com\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=405310"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/buradabiliyorum.com\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=405310"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}