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As pandemic lockdowns pushed more users to dating apps, Arkose Labs research documented 4 million online dating fraud and abuse-related attacks in 2020, with many originating from fake account registrations designed to seed investment scams. The fraud pattern — which Interpol also flagged with a global Purple Notice to 194 countries — involves scammers matching with users on platforms like Tinder, Bumble and Hinge before building trust and redirecting them to fraudulent investment apps and schemes. The convergence of rising dating app usage and sophisticated social engineering made the sector one of the highest-risk fraud environments of the pandemic era.
