Today, Match Group announced its partnership with the UK Government to better protect its members against the risks posed by romance fraud. In the initial phase of the project, Match Group is collaborating with the City of London Police (CoLP), the national lead force for fraud in the UK, in a month-long campaign.

As part of this partnership, Match Group will be running a series of romance fraud protection banners across Tinder, Match, Plenty of Fish, and OKCupid to inform its members of how to spot the signs of a romance fraud and how to protect themselves online. The campaign will provide users with up-to-date to safety resources, guidelines, and information.

Match Group Safety Tips

“Match Group is pleased to partner with the UK police force on this important initiative. We want all of the members of our community to feel safe when using our apps and equipped to protect themselves from romance scams. We look forward to continuing this important work, both internally by continuously updating our anti-fraud technologies, and externally, through our partnerships with law enforcement, governments, and non-profits,” said Justine Sacco, Chief Communications Officer at Match Group.

• What to know:

• • Romance fraud occurs when you think you’ve met the perfect partner online but they are using a fake profile to form a relationship with you.
  • They gain your trust over a number of weeks or months and have you believe you are in a loving and caring relationship. However, the criminal’s end goal is to get your money or personal information.
  • Be wary of long distance or overseas relationships–the criminal will often claim to be stuck somewhere or working in a different country.

• Protect yourself:

• • Don’t give away too many personal details when speaking online to someone you’ve never met in person.
  • Stay on the dating site’s messaging service until you meet in person or through the app’s in-app video function. Criminals will seek to switch to less regulated, end-to-end encrypted platforms, to hide evidence of their actions. 
  • Most online platforms have tools to report suspicious behaviour.  Reporting their user profile means it can be blocked, which helps protect others. 
    
    

• Even after you have met someone in person, do not:

• • Send them money, gift cards or engage in any financial transactions.
  • Allow them access to your bank account.
  • Provide copies of your personal documents such as passports or driving licenses.
    
    

Action Fraud data highlights that two-thirds of romance fraud victims are aged 50 and above. Scammers are using increasingly sophisticated tools to defraud people who are not digitally conscious. 

Match Group takes the online security of its members very seriously; this campaign is one part of a holistic approach to user safety. All Match Group platforms have in-app safety resources that equip members with details about the latest safety features and tools. Additionally, Match Group platforms have dedicated teams that leverage a network of industry leading technology to scan for signs of fraud and review suspicious profiles, activity, and user-generated reports.  Match Group safety processes, procedures, and resources  are reviewed and advised upon by the Match Group Advisory Council, a group of outside experts in online safety. 

About Match Group

Match Group (NASDAQ: MTCH), through its portfolio companies, is a leading provider of dating products available globally. Our portfolio of brands includes Tinder®, Match®, Meetic®, OkCupid®, Hinge®, Pairs™, PlentyOfFish®, and OurTime®, as well as a number of other brands, each designed to increase our users’ likelihood of finding a meaningful connection. Through our portfolio companies and their trusted brands, we provide tailored products to meet the varying preferences of our users. Our products are available in over 40 languages to our users all over the world.