NEW DELHI: Match Group, the parent company of Tinder, Hinge and The League, has partnered with the Indian Cybercrime Coordination Centre (I4C), under the Ministry of Home Affairs, to launch a campaign aimed at raising awareness about romance scams and online dating fraud in India.
Announced at the second edition of the Trust and Safety Festival in India, the initiative will provide users with guidance on identifying scam tactics, recognising suspicious behaviour and accessing official cybercrime reporting channels.
The campaign will run across Tinder, Hinge and The League’s platforms and communication channels, with content developed in collaboration with I4C to address risks relevant to Indian users.
Five Warning Signs of Romance Scams
The awareness initiative will focus on five key areas: caution when conversations are moved away from dating platforms, identity verification, suspicious investment advice, requests for money and attempts to build emotional trust before making financial demands.
Romance scams often involve fraudsters creating fake profiles and developing emotional relationships with victims before exploiting their trust. Scammers may spend weeks or months communicating with a person before requesting money, claiming they need financial assistance for medical emergencies, travel expenses, visa fees or repairs.
In some cases, fraudsters introduce investment opportunities, including schemes involving cryptocurrency or other financial products, to persuade victims to transfer money.
The campaign will encourage users not to send money, gift cards or investments to people they have met only online. Users will also be advised to remain cautious when someone quickly attempts to move a conversation to another platform, particularly if the person begins making financial requests or promoting investment opportunities.
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Dating Platforms Expand Safety Features
The initiative builds on Match Group’s existing trust and safety measures across its dating applications.
Tinder offers features such as Face Check and Photo Verification, alongside safety prompts including “Are You Sure?” and “Does This Bother You?” These tools are designed to help users assess potentially inappropriate interactions. The platform also allows users to block, report or unmatch other users.
Its Share My Date feature enables users to share date plans and location information with trusted contacts.
Hinge has introduced a waitlist for some new users in India, alongside measures such as Face Check, a Block List during onboarding and screenshot protection. These features are intended to improve profile authenticity, strengthen privacy and provide users with greater control over their online interactions.
Earlier Initiatives Target Online Dating Safety
Match Group has undertaken other initiatives in India to promote safer online dating. Tinder’s Dating Safety Guide, developed in collaboration with the Centre for Social Research, is available in regional languages and provides guidance on navigating online dating more safely.
The company has also introduced School of Swipe, an educational initiative designed to help users understand online dating, while its partnership with Yuvaa and Pink Legal on the Let’s Talk Consent online course addresses consent and respectful relationships.
How to Report Online Dating Fraud
Authorities encourage people who encounter suspected cybercrime to report incidents through the National Cyber Crime Reporting Portal at cybercrime.gov.in. Victims of financial cyber fraud can also call the national cybercrime helpline at 1930 for assistance.
Users should preserve relevant evidence, including chat records, profile details, transaction receipts and payment information, when reporting suspected fraud.
What This Means For You
People using dating applications should verify profiles, avoid sharing sensitive financial information and never transfer money to someone they know only online. Sudden investment proposals, emergency requests for funds and pressure to move conversations off-platform can be warning signs of fraud.
The420 Insight
The Match Group–I4C partnership highlights the importance of combining platform-level safety measures with public awareness and accessible reporting mechanisms. As online relationships become increasingly common, recognising manipulation early and reporting suspicious activity can help reduce the financial and emotional harm caused by romance scams.
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