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Over one million Gen Zers are on ‘the apps’ continuously swiping in hopes of finding love or casual hookups. How can we ensure we stay safe?
It’s no secret that online dating has taken the world by storm – boasting over 350 million users globally – with Gen Z, 18-28 year-olds making up 37% of dating app users in the US.
Dating apps, while often scrutinized for being unsafe and superficial, lead to around one in ten adult couples in the US and UK.
Netflix specials like the ‘Tinder Swindler’ and Facebook groups like ‘Are We Dating the Same Guy?’ prove that dating apps, while exciting, can leave users open to the deceptive tactics of Catfishers, Kittenfishers, and creeps.
Catfishing is defined by CNN as when ‘a person uses false information and images to create a fake identity online with the intention to trick, harass, or scam another person.’ While many fakes were previously easy to discern, AI tools are muddying the waters for swipers.
In-fact, a 2025 AARP survey found that 40% of dating apps users reported being targeted by online dating scams.
‘Kitten-fishing’ is less malicious than its predecessor, but still involves deception, as people significantly misrepresent themselves by changing details including height, age, physical appearance, and profession.
As digital natives, we’re savvier than most when it comes to putting ourselves in harm’s way online. With dating apps, however, weeding out inauthenticity isn’t quite as straightforward, as the superseding aim of finding a partner skews our usual sensibilities.
After five long years on Tinder, Hinge, and Bumble – and a lot of trial and error – I have narrowed down the process of weeding out the Catfishers, Kittenfishers, and creeps of the world, and been on real life dates with kind and legit people.
If you’re after some foolproof strategies for staying safe as a Gen Z dater on the apps, hopefully my experience can streamline your own.
Make sure people are verified
While some apps, like Bumble, require photo verification to prove that one’s identity matches the identity they claim, top apps like Hinge, Tinder, Grindr, and Coffee Meets Bagel do not.
These apps offer verification as options and encourage it as a step to ‘strengthen’ one’s profile, but it is not required. It takes 30 seconds to take a photo and verify, so I’d treat someone not being verified as a red flag and a big warning sign that they are likely not real or may be embellishing.
Avoid Snapchat
Not everyone unverified is a catfish; however, more often than not, the people I’ve spoken to who were unverified were. There are tell-tale signs. Often, unverified individuals ask for Snapchats. To be clear, Snapchat is often used as a tool by Catfishers who have attempted to exploit two-thirds of Gen Z into sextortion in Australia, France, Germany, India, the UK, and the US.
While I don’t recommend giving out your Snapchat to an unverified person on a dating app, if you do, once they are added, be extra vigilant. If the Snapchat user has a score below 10,000, be wary. If a Snapchat user goes directly to the chat feature to send messages, that’s generally a telling sign, especially if they don’t show their face. If in the chat, the Snapchat user automatically asks for your Instagram, that can be cause for concern.
Get their Instagram
Instagram is more than just an app for posting photos – it’s also a great app to conduct important background checks on dating app matches. I’d ask for someone’s Instagram handle early in the chat to weed out any potential red flags (I’m aware of the irony in that). I’d check to see how many followers they have and err on the side of caution if their follower count is below 100.
If they are following absurdly more people than they have as followers, that’s suspicious. If their feed hasn’t been updated in four to six years – that’s a red flag, and if their profile photos are the same as they are on their Instagram and are all more than two-three years-old – it would be wise to unmatch.
As a rule of thumb, it’s odd not to put recent photos on a dating profile. Physical appearances usually change in four years. Lastly, always take a look at their tagged photos and their followers and following to further verify their identity and check their legitimacy.
