Match Group, the Dutch Center for Crime Prevention and Security (CCV), the Ministry of Justice and Security, and the Online Dating Association are partnering with the Fraud Helpdesk and Victim Support Netherlands on a campaign to raise awareness about romance fraud. As part of this partnership, Match Group will be running a series of romance fraud protection banners across Lexa and OurTime to educate members on how to spot romance fraud and protect themselves online. The campaign, which will provide up-to-date safety resources and guidelines, will run from December 19 through February 14. 

2022 data from the CCV shows that victims of romance fraud in the Netherlands lose €20.000 on average, and that investment fraud represents 11% of the cases of romance fraud - up from 2% in 2021. Romance scammers usually target older users, and often work by establishing trust over time and asking for money in increasing amounts for supposed emergencies.

As a leader in online dating, Match Group is dedicated to online safety. Our brands use a network of industry-leading automated and manual moderation and review tools, technology, process, and policies – and spend millions of dollars annually to prevent, detect, and remove people who engage in inappropriate behavior on our apps. All our safety resources are continually updated and evolved with the Match Group Advisory Council, a first-of-its-kind group of leading experts and advocates involved in the study and prevention of safety issues.

Know the signs:

• The scammer builds an emotional relationship of trust over weeks or months, then requests money to handle an emergency
• There is typically pressure to move communications to a different app, like WhatsApp or email to skirt detection
• The requests for money start relatively small, then increase over time
• The messages often come from long-distance; the scammer claims to be unable to meet in person and/or cancels plans to meet at the last minute

Safety Tips:

• Check name and photo in search engines and use the video chat function to determine who your match is
• Never transfer money or give access to your personal documents, such as a passport or driver’s license
• Keep your communications on the in-app messaging system
• Use the in-app function to report inauthentic behavior
• Talk to your friends and family about your matches

Please find more information on this campaign at www.hetccv.nl/dating. Read more about Match Group’s Trust and Safety efforts here.