Swiping right on safety in the hunt for coronavirus love matches

• 20% of online daters have been scammed for money by someone they met on a dating site
• One-third (33%) of UK consumers use 3-5 dating apps
• Nearly one-fifth of UK consumers (17%) spend 2-3 hours a week on dating apps

With lockdown measures still in place across the UK, sites like Dating.com have reported an increase in dating app usage of up to 82%. But whilst people should take advantage of online sites and apps to find love, they must also ensure they aren’t at risk of falling victim to cybercrime. Kaspersky has found that a fifth ofonline daters have been scammed for money by someone they met on a dating site, showing that consumers must remain vigilant when looking for love in lockdown.

Kaspersky’s research has found that Brits are not monogamous when it comes to their dating apps, with one-third (33%) of respondents using 3-5 dating apps. By doing so, they are inadvertently increasing the risk of their sensitive and personal data being stolen by triple – or even quintuple. Considering that nearly two-in-five (39%) of the respondents surveyed spend 1-3 hours a week on dating apps, using more than one dating app widens the attack vector for cybercriminal activity.

Kaspersky researchers have also found several vulnerabilities in some of the dating apps that consumers use. Apps such as Tinder and Badoo often become a bait used to spread mobile malware or retrieve personal data, to later bombard users with unwanted ads or even spend their money on expensive paid subscriptions. The danger these malicious files bring varies from file to file, ranging from Trojans that can download other malware to ones that send expensive SMS messages.

Interestingly, the research indicates that men are more promiscuous with their app usage and as such are more vulnerable to an increased threat of cyber-risks when online dating, compared to women. 37% of males surveyed use 3-5 dating apps, versus only 29% of women – whilst 21% of men reported that they have also been scammed from someone they met on a dating site, versus 19% of women.

“It’s no surprise that people are turning to online sites and apps for find love in lockdown – but those doing so must stay vigilant. With our research showing that a fifth of daters have been scammed for money by someone they met on a dating site, we urge those looking for love online to do so safely and practise strong security hygiene. This includes protecting devices, applying device and app updates and restricting the data they share on social networks. Otherwise, people could find themselves throwing away their long-term data security in the short-term pursuit of love,” comments David Emm, Principal Security Researcher at Kaspersky.

Kaspersky recommends the following advice to help daters find love safely:

• Only using dating sites or apps on protected Wi-Fi networks, or use a virtual private network (VPN), which allows you to connect to online services safely, by encrypting all data sent and received through a network
• Install security solutions on all of your devices – not forgetting your smartphones and tablets
• Share information with strangers only on a need-to-know basis
• Don’t add your social media accounts to your public profile in a dating app, or give your real name, surname, or place of work
• Keep your email addresses private
• Once lockdown is all over and you return to dating in person, practice good security and keep yourself safe in real life too.

More information can be found by visiting the Kaspersky website.

Research methodology

Kaspersky commissioned independent market research agency Opinion Matters to undertake research with 1,000 UK-based adults who are currently using or have used a dating app in the past year.

About Kaspersky

Kaspersky is a global cybersecurity company founded in 1997. Kaspersky’s deep threat intelligence and security expertise is constantly transforming into innovative security solutions and services to protect businesses, critical infrastructure, governments and consumers around the globe. The company’s comprehensive security portfolio includes leading endpoint protection and a number of specialised security solutions and services to fight sophisticated and evolving digital threats. Over 400 million users are protected by Kaspersky technologies and we help 270,000 corporate clients protect what matters most to them. Learn more at www.kaspersky.com.