{"id":34857,"date":"2014-04-22T06:00:01","date_gmt":"2014-04-22T13:00:01","guid":{"rendered":"http:\/\/blogs.mcafee.com\/?p=34857"},"modified":"2025-08-07T22:44:13","modified_gmt":"2025-08-08T05:44:13","slug":"tinder-not-so-tender","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.mcafee.com\/blogs\/mobile-security\/tinder-not-so-tender\/","title":{"rendered":"Tinder Not So Tender"},"content":{"rendered":"

Tinder <\/b>is a kind of modern day ‘Hot or Not’ mobile dating app. It finds matches based on location, then lets you scroll through pictures (no lengthy profiles here), picking those that catch your eye \u2013 and vetoing the ones that don\u2019t. The app works by accessing users\u2019 Facebook accounts to pull pictures and other relevant profile information about their age, interests, status, and more. However, despite the app\u2019s growing popularity, many users have been plagued by a mobile scam<\/a> using bots<\/a> to impersonate eligible singles.<\/p>\n

Because spammers notoriously target large, susceptible groups of people, it is no surprise that they have turned their sights on love-seeking Tinder app users. Recently, there has been a rise in fake accounts controlled by bots (malware infected computers or devices controlled by third-party) that masquerades as real users, complete with names, interests and photos. The bots not only lead users on with the false hope of a potential match, but also spam them with messages advertising a video game link. Screenshots<\/a> posted to Twitter confirm the consistent pattern of this con.<\/p>\n

The latest Tinder scam takes advantage of the app\u2019s interface, where users scan potential matches in their area and then \u201cswipe right\u201d for those that interest them. Once a victim \u201cswipes right\u201d and contacts the fake account, it reacts with the generic message \u201chey :)\u201d. Subsequently, it asks what the user is doing and then responds with \u201cI\u2019m still recovering from last night \ud83d\ude42 Relaxing with a game on my phone, Castle Clash. Have you heard about it?\u201d No matter what the victim\u2019s response is, the bot responds with a URL to a mobile game app called Castle Clash. In order to make the URL appear trustworthy, the party behind Castle Clash disguised the link as \u201cTinderverified.com.\u201d But don\u2019t let the seemingly legitimate link or others like it fool you; clicking on them can expose you and your private information.<\/p>\n

It appears that this particular scam is more annoying than dangerous, and most likely just a ploy by the Castle Clash creator to boost app downloads. After the incident was reported, Tinder quickly took the necessary steps to remove these phony accounts. However, this is not the first time that the company has had issues with fake profiles, and while Tinder allows matched users to block each other, it does not prevent past victims from being targeted again. Despite the fact that Tinder users must have a Facebook account to register, it is frighteningly easy for spammers and cybercriminals to create dummy accounts using fake information.<\/p>\n

Protect Yourself from Malicious Activities<\/h2>\n

In order to avoid email junk folders, spam has become much more sophisticated today, and communities of like-minded people like those on Tinder are perfect targets. Now that social profiles are linked to apps, mobile devices, desktop computers, and more, the risk of a potential infection spreading from one to all of them is exponentially higher. As the app maker, Tinder bears the brunt of the responsibility when it comes to protecting its users from spammers, but in the end, only you can protect yourself from malicious activity. Some best practices include:<\/p>\n