Dating Sites Are Using Freelancers to Catfish Lonely Users on a Massive Scale

Dating platforms are allegedly hiring virtual assistant freelancers to take advantage of lonely individuals in dire need of romantic partners by pretending to be prospective companions.

These freelancers are given fake identity profiles to play on the emotional triggers of registered users to provide money, subscriptions, gifts, and many more.

Virtual Dating Scammers: An Emerging Job Position in the Freelance Marketplace

Millions of people use online dating websites, applications, or social networking platforms to interact and create exciting relationships that could lead to long-term romance.

Unfortunately, instead of finding romance, many users encounter scammers constantly devising new tactics to exploit their love desires, coaxing them to send money or pay for subscriptions.

As exclusively detailed in a Wired report, a new phenomenon has emerged in the realm of online dating. It involves recruiting virtual customer service representatives to lure romance-struck individuals on dating and hookup sites to pay for conversations.

The evolution of falsified freelance hires into the dating industry is speculated to have begun in 2020.

Wired interviewed Liam (a pseudonym to protect privacy), who lived in Waterford, Southeast Ireland, and was about to kickstart his second year at the university when the Covid-19 pandemic broke out.

This led to the shutdown of the city and the university’s campus to mitigate the spread. The situation posed financial concerns for Liam and other residents, as the need for money to purchase groceries and run little errands surged.

Due to the restriction, onsite workplaces were closed, as there were now more pigeons than actual people on the main streets.

Consumed by the need to find a source of income, Liam had responded to a Facebook advert from Vdesk, a reputable online customer support service provider for hire. He applied for a position and was subsequently invited for an interview.

During the interview, Vdesk asked about Liam’s willingness to moderate dating websites.

Although strange, Liam believed it centered on moderating hateful content on various dating websites such as Plenty of Fishes (POF) and Tinder and gave his affirmation as capable.

However, it didn’t take long for Liam to discover the actual nature of the job. He was required to assume fake online identities and engage with lonely customers seeking love, romance, or casual encounters.

Liam emphasized he was required to pretend to be “Anna2001.” While this was wrong, he considered his need for money and performed the role for which he was hired.

Liam is just one of the thousands of freelancers recruited globally to adopt fictitious virtual profiles and interact with registered users on dating and hookup platforms.

Vdesk is yet to comment or release a public announcement on Liam’s detailed statements to Wired.

However, it remains glaring that virtual support service agencies leverage uncleared job vacancy strategies to recruit freelancers as content moderators.

The job description ends up being a facade when freelancers are tasked to play on the emotions of lovestruck registered users for money, subscription, personal identity information, and more.

One Step Ahead: Protect Yourself Today

With the spate of new dating scam strategies, notably the emerging employment of freelancers as virtual scammers, registered users must always protect themselves from emotional and financial exploitations.

Members of dating, hookup, and social networking websites and platforms should never send money, bank details, or identity information to potential online companions they haven’t met in person.

Users must always consider the possibility that the approach is geared toward financial exploitation.

According to the Federal Trade Commission data report for 2022, dating scam schemes resulted in a colossal loss of a staggering $1.3 billion in the United States.

To leap past dating scams, it is important to detach emotions from online transactions and decisions, regardless of how caring or persistent the virtual partner may seem.

Subscribers of these platforms can also conduct image and name searches of their favorite chatmates to verify their authenticity.

While these may be sufficient, the government may need to regulate the dating industries to avoid further exploitations of lonely personalities, which has tragically resulted in significant financial losses and even suicides.

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