Online Dating

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Video credit: Romance Scam and Online Dating Frauds – posted by OfficialYRP on YouTube

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Of the romantic partnerships formed in the United States between 2007 and 2009, 21 percent of heterosexual couples and 61 percent of same-sex couples met online, according to a study by Michael J. Rosenfeld, an associate professor of sociology at Stanford.

From: The New York Times article – Love, Lies and What they Learned   (2011)

About Online Dating

Online dating has become foundational to modern ‘dating culture’: 36% of Canadians ages 18-34 have given online dating a try. One of the main benefits of meeting a potential partner online is the convenience of having profiles to scan. If you’re looking for someone who’s a natural blonde, is into James Bond movies and plays ringette, you might be out of luck searching at bars or clubs. Reading through online profiles means that you can select people who interest you… anonymously. If you’re too shy to talk to someone in person you can start an online conversation with them. You can avoid really awkward blind dates or meet ups by emailing or messaging in advance, and getting a feel for them before deciding to meet in person.

Of course, meeting online can have some pitfalls. People can lie or embellish facts about themselves on their dating-site profiles. It could turn out that their intentions are less than honourable. In a 2012 study, psychologists warned that relying too much on finding the perfect profile has little correlation to the perfect match; meeting over coffee might be a better way to get to know someone.

For many years, dating websites dominated the online dating landscape, but today, dating apps such as Tinder, Hinge and Bumble are more popular; as of 2026, Tinder had around 50 million users each month, according to their website. Some online dating sites charge fees but may offer a free trial period, while others are free but offer in-app purchases. Choose your dating site carefully – what are their terms and conditions, what do they do with your information, and what’s their privacy policy like? You can also find various reviews of dating sites on the web.

Note that increasingly, dating app users report using AI to help craft their profiles or to come up with clever responses to messages from prospective dates. This might help some users to put their best foot forward, but other users report that AI-generated profile pictures and responses get in the way of building real connections. 

Online Dating and Fraud

Online dating enables several types of fraud and scams, which are not possible (or not as likely) in person:

  • Catfishing Scams: In “catfishing” scams, scammers build online profiles that are either completely false or significant misrepresentations, often for malicious reasons. Scammers may steal images from elsewhere on the internet to build these misleading profiles, or they might artificially generate images using AI.
  • Romance Scams: As part of “romance scams” scammers build romantic online connections with their victims, before eventually asking for money. In these cases, you might not be talking to the person presented in the dating profile, but instead, a team of scammers based overseas (as in this CBC podcast). The person you are talking to online might even not be a person at all in fact, but rather a chatbot. Romance scammers can operate at a larger scale by using automatic chatbots to build rapport with victims.
  • Sextortion Attempts: Through Sextortion, explicit images (real or AI-generated) may be used to extort money or more compromising photos from victims. Read more about Sextortion in our tutorial, and exercise caution when sharing any images of yourself with someone you meet online.
  • Investment Fraud: Scammers could also use dating sites as a means to build false romantic or social relationships with their victims before persuading them to invest their money in fraudulent investment schemes. This type of fraud is also called a “pig butchering” scam.

If you’re interested in giving online dating a chance, use your common sense – consider it akin to hitchhiking. For your first in-person date, consider informing a friend or family member where you’re going, and going on first dates in a public place such as a coffee shop or museum. Think also about how much private information you want to share on your profile and in any online communication you have with potential matches – how much do you really want them to know about you before you even meet?

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The Digital Tattoo Project encourages critical discussion on topics surrounding digital citizenship and online identity. There are no correct answers and every person will view these topics from a different perspective. Be sure to complete the previous sections before answering the questions.

 For you, do the benefits of online dating outweigh the downsides?

What are the best ways to protect yourself when online dating?

What do you think? Tell us using the comment below.

Content maintained by The Digital Tattoo Team

One response to “Online Dating”

  1. Rezwan
    Rezwan June 14, 2023 at 3:41 pm | Reply

    I think virtual dating is the future.

    The best way to protect yourself when online dating is to prioritize your safety by being cautious with personal information, using reputable dating platforms, trusting your instincts, and meeting in public places. Remember to conduct online research, share selectively, and report any suspicious activity to the dating platform. Taking these precautions helps create a safer online dating experience.

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