How To Spot a Bumble Scammer: Avoid These 6 Bumble Scams

Can You Get Burned by a Bumble Scammer?

When a Connecticut woman met the man of her dreams on Bumble, she thought her search for love was over. But after months of chatting, her beau sent her an alarming message: He was stranded in a foreign country with a pile of debt and no access to his bank account.

Over the next few weeks, the victim sent her would-be lover over $100,000 before realizing the entire thing was a scam [*].

Romance and online dating scams have plagued Americans for years — but dating apps like Tinder, Hinge, and Bumble have made these schemes more profitable than ever for scammers. According to the Federal Trade Commission (FTC) [*]:

Nearly 70,000 Americans reported being victims of romance scams in 2022, causing $1.3 billion in losses. 

With more and more people using Bumble and other dating apps to find love, it’s important to know how to spot the warning signs of a Bumble scammer before it’s too late.

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What Are Bumble Scams? Is Bumble Safe To Use? 

Bumble scams occur when scammers create fake profiles on Bumble, cultivate romances with other Bumble users, and then entice their victims into sending them money, sharing personal information, or granting access to their online accounts. 

While Bumble is generally safe to use, the company acknowledges that scammers do exist on its platform — and are only getting bolder as more people flock to this popular dating service [*].

Bumble’s monthly users doubled from January 2019 to 2022, giving fraudsters a much larger pool of potential victims to target [*]. Victims can include people of every age, gender, and sexual orientation; scammers often adjust their techniques according to their victims’ interests and lifestyles. 

These “custom-tailored” attack strategies make Bumble scams hard to spot — but beneath it all, they follow the same pattern as most other romance scams:

• Fraudsters create fake profiles to attract victims. They may steal photos from social media, manipulate photos from magazines, or simply use stock photography to embellish their profiles.
• Once you connect, they immediately try to build trust. Upon finding a match, scammers start trying to build emotional connections and establish trust. This often involves being overtly forward and professing their love in a matter of days.
• Next, they ask you to move to a different platform (like WhatsApp). The longer a fraudster chats on Bumble, the more likely it is that someone flags the account for being fake. For this reason, they try to move conversations to a more private channel like Telegram, WhatsApp, or Google Chat.
• Eventually, you’re asked to send money, invest in cryptocurrencies, or share sensitive photos. Once scammers feel you’re sufficiently invested in the relationship, they try to get you to send them money either directly (via transfers under the guise of your helping them deal with fake crises) or indirectly (through investing in fake cryptocurrency schemes or soliciting sensitive photos and videos that they can use for extortion later). 
• By the time you realize you’ve been scammed, the fraudsters have disappeared. Bumble may not be able to help you locate the scammers or discover the real identity of the profile you’ve fallen for. If fraudsters successfully cover their tracks from the beginning, recovering from the scam may not be possible.

Expecting Bumble (and other dating websites or apps) to block or identify every scammer is unrealistic. Therefore, it’s often up to you to recognize the warning signs of a Bumble scammer.

How To Identify a Bumble Scammer: 10 Warning Signs

Dating sites and apps are designed to facilitate relationships between strangers without the need to share too much personal information up front. This makes it very difficult to tell the difference between a legitimate Bumble user and a scammer.

Pay close attention to users who display any of the following warning signs:

1. Matches that are too perfect (unusually attractive, high-profile career, etc.)

Fraudsters want to attract as many potential matches as possible. To do this, they steal photos of attractive models, actors, and athletes and claim to work high-profile or lucrative jobs at prestigious companies. 

This process of using fake profile pictures to impersonate a false character is called “catfishing.” The number of dating app users that report encountering fake profiles has more than doubled in the past five years [*].

If someone’s online dating profile gives you the feeling that they’re “out of your league,” there’s a good chance you’re dealing with a scammer. 

What to do:

• Use a reverse image search to verify their profile photos. Applications like TinEye or Google reverse image search can help you pinpoint stolen photos online. Upload a screenshot of your match’s photos and find out if they appear on public websites or in magazines. 
• Search their name, career, and location on Google or LinkedIn. Most companies publish the names of employees with high-profile positions. You should be able to find evidence that potential matches really do work for the companies they claim to work for.
• Request that your matches use photo verification. You can set your Bumble profile to require each match to use a “verified” photo [*]. These are random poses that would be almost impossible for scammers to replicate. 

📚 Related: How To Spot a Scammer on a Dating Site → 

2. Requests for gifts or money to help with an urgent personal issue

The most obvious warning sign indicating that you’re dealing with a Bumble scammer is if you are asked for money. Scammers quickly try to build trust and then ask for your help with an urgent personal or health-related issue. 

Common fake emergencies include unexpected medical bills, help paying for a child’s care, being stranded in a foreign country and needing help getting money back to their bank account, extortion from an ex, or even money to pay for a visit to see you (which never happens). 

According to the FTC, cryptocurrency, wire transfers, and gift cards make up two-thirds of all reported romance scam payments [*].

What to do:

• Never send money to people you meet online. If someone asks for money online for any reason, you should consider it a scam. Don’t believe people who tell you they have no one else to rely on but you (a stranger they’ve met on the internet).
• Don’t fall for money mule scams. Sometimes fraudsters actually send you money, and then ask you to send it to someone else. This is an elaborate money laundering scheme that could cause legal troubles for you down the road.
• Refuse to participate in refund scams. Another version of the money mule scam involves making a false payment to you and asking for the money back. Since you never received any money in the first place, you will end up sending your money to the scammer, who then disappears without a trace.

The bottom line: Any request for payments, gifts, or money from someone you’ve only met on Bumble (or anywhere online) is a scam. 

3. Using awkward phrases or nonsensical language

While some scammers take time to craft believable fake profiles, others rely on descriptions written by automated chatbots or AI writing tools.

Sometimes profiles are created by fraudsters who don’t have a good understanding of English. If you’re speaking to someone who claims to be a native English speaker — but uses awkward phrases or nonsensical language — you could be communicating with a scammer. 

📚 Related: How To Tell If Someone Is Scamming You Online →

4. Refusing to chat over video, or canceling at the last minute

Scammers can’t risk video chatting with you but also know that refusing to do so can make you suspicious of them. So, they often promise to connect and then cancel at the last minute — due to an emergency that needs your help. 

Don’t fall for their excuses. Anyone who can go through the process of creating a dating profile should also have handy a video-capable Android or Apple iOS device. 

What to do:

• Stop communicating. Be especially wary of people who blame sudden emergencies for their inability to call. This “emergency” may lead to a request for money. Never continue communicating with anyone you suspect might be a scammer.
• Take screenshots of your conversations. If you think someone is a scammer, take screenshots of your conversations so that you have documented evidence of your interactions. This may help you investigate suspicious activities later on.

5. Quickly telling you they’re in love with you

“Love bombing” is the term security professionals use to describe romance scams in which fraudsters try to establish deep emotional connections very quickly. The goal is to maximize your emotional investment in the relationship as soon as possible.

This tactic is an attempt to manipulate an authentic, human desire for intimacy. Instead of hacking your computer, scammers are hacking your emotions to bring your guard down and make you vulnerable.

What to do:

• Take a break and re-evaluate the situation. If you’re feeling overwhelmed with emotion, take a step back and ask yourself, “Is this real?” Scammers use what you’ve told them against you to get you to act emotionally rather than rationally. 
• Don’t reciprocate feelings that you don’t have. Resist the natural tendency to match your partner’s declaration of love with your own. If you don’t feel it, don’t say it.
• Ask for patience. Legitimate connections will understand if you need more time to process your emotional needs; scammers will not. If your connection grows impatient with you, it’s probably a scam.

6. Asking you to move the conversation onto another platform

Most relationships eventually move off of dating sites, on to other platforms, and, ultimately, to real life. But scammers want to quickly move to messaging apps with fewer protections — such as WhatsApp, Telegram, Signal, etc. 

While this isn’t necessarily a red flag of a dating scammer, it can signal that you’re dealing with a person whose dating profile might soon get shut down.

What to do:

• Be cautious about sharing contact details. Sharing your phone number or email address can open you up to more types of scams, such as phishing messages or SIM swaps.
• Wait until after your first meet-up. There usually isn’t a good reason to switch apps before your first date. If your contact insists, it’s probably a scammer.
• Use a private chat app like Telegram. Telegram is one of the few chat apps that you can use without sharing any private data. All your contact needs to know is your Telegram username.

📚 Related: Beware Of These 10 Common WhatsApp Scams →

7. Claiming to have made a lot of money with cryptocurrencies

Crypto romance scams revolve around convincing you to invest in fake cryptocurrency accounts. Also known as the “pig butchering” scam, fraudsters fabricate a believable-looking crypto exchange website and show victims impressive charts that display their “earnings.”

You may even be able to withdraw a small amount (at first) in the scammer’s attempt to get you to invest more. But ultimately, you will be unable to cash out, or you’ll be told that you need to pay more to get your money. 

What to do:

• Every conversation is about making money. If you feel like your contact steers every conversation toward money, cryptocurrency assets, and speculative investing, it’s probably a scam.
• They claim to have “special” or “insider” knowledge. These fraudsters will tell you that they have a family member or connection that can “guarantee” a return for them. This is a flat-out lie, as no investment – cryptocurrency or otherwise — can guarantee risk-free returns. 
• You’re asked to pay fees, taxes, or fines. If you try to cash out and are told that you’re required to pay hefty fees or taxes first, it’s a scam. 

📚 Related: Are Crypto Recovery Services a Scams? Here’s How To Be Sure →

8. Avoiding basic questions about where they live

Many romance scammers are based in foreign countries and have limited knowledge about the specific area in which they say they live.

For example, if your match claims to live in a neighborhood in Seattle, but isn’t familiar with local restaurants, parks, or landmarks, that’s a big red flag. Some scammers try to cover by saying they moved recently. However, they’ll also avoid answering questions about the place from which they say they moved.

When you have genuine connections with real people, they are usually happy to talk about cities they live in and life experiences they’ve had. Be wary of any user who avoids answering questions about these general topics.

9. Claiming to work overseas or in the military

Many scammers use overseas work or military deployment to explain why they can’t meet in real life. This tactic often works because it’s plausible. Various careers – especially in the military – require frequent travel and long stays in distant places.

Catching a scammer who claims to work overseas can be difficult. If your contacts are who they say they are, they should be able to verify their identities through video chat. However, video chatting doesn’t automatically confirm that a person is trustworthy.

What to do:

• Scammers may use low-quality video to fool you. It’s hard to verify someone’s identity through a blurry, constantly-buffering video. Be very suspicious of anyone claiming to connect from a place that doesn’t have reliable internet service. 
• Fraudsters may speak differently than they type. Pay close attention to your contact’s demeanor and use of language. If there are dramatic differences between the way they speak and the way they type, it might be a scam.

10. Asking lots of personal questions while revealing little about themselves

Most people love to talk about themselves, especially on dating apps. Scammers know this and try to get you to offer as much information about yourself as possible. But the more you tell them, the better they can tailor a scam to your personality. 

They may start with harmless questions about things you enjoy, like movies, food, or music. But fraudsters quickly steer the conversation toward more sensitive areas. Even seemingly innocuous questions about your career, travel plans, or relationship history can be turned against you.

The bottom line: While it’s natural to share information with someone you’re genuinely interested in, be wary of contacts who don’t respond accordingly. If they seem fixated on unusual details about your life – like your first pet’s name or your first job – it’s probably an attempt to gain answers to security questions you use to authenticate your accounts.

The 6 Latest Bumble Scams You Need To Watch Out For

Romance scammers are constantly looking for new ways to trick you into sending them money or disclosing sensitive information. 

To use Bumble safely, you should familiarize yourself with some of the scam tactics that cybercriminals are using:

1. Cryptocurrency scams and “pig butchering.” Fraudsters may claim to have some kind of special insight or privilege that they’re willing to share with you as a way to guarantee high returns from cryptocurrency investments. Never accept investment advice from anyone you don’t personally know and trust.
2. Links to fraudulent websites or malicious downloads. Hackers may spoof known websites (including the Bumble dating app itself) to trick you into giving up your account data. They may also send you to websites that show harmful pop-ups, or download malware onto your device. Use Safe Browsing tools to warn you if you’re entering a dangerous website.
3. Extortion and blackmail. In a sextortion scam, scammers convince you to send them sensitive images and videos of yourself. Once you do, they threaten to embarrass you by publishing that content or sharing it with your contacts. A good rule of thumb is to never send photos or videos that you wouldn’t want your friends and family to see.
4. Automated bots that advertise links. Dating apps are flooded with fake profiles run by bots that respond to chats with advertisements. These ads almost always promote links to dubious websites that may contain malware or other harmful content.
5. Urgent requests for help during an emergency. Many scams revolve around a personal emergency that requires your help. In most cases, scammers ask you to send money to them, promising to pay you back when they can.
6. Account takeover attacks using verification codes. Scammers may ask you to help them log in to an account by sending a two-factor authentication (2FA) code to you. Never share these codes with anyone — Doing so could give scammers access to your Bumble account, email, or social media accounts.

Did You Talk to (or Fall Victim to) a Bumble Scammer?

If you believe you’ve interacted with a scammer on Bumble, act quickly to secure your identity, report the scammer, and mitigate the damage. Here’s what to do:

• Take stock of your conversation — and your vulnerabilities. Try to recall and document all of the personal information you might have shared with the scammer so that you can determine whether you’re at risk of identity theft or fraud. If you only exchanged a few messages and avoided sharing sensitive data, you are probably safe.
• Try to reverse any payments. If you’ve sent money transfers, invested in cryptocurrency, or transferred gift cards, contact the bank, company, or exchange and try to reverse the payment. Here’s a guide on what to do when scammed out of money.
• Report the scammer to Bumble. Use Bumble’s “report and block” button to forward the scammer’s profile to Bumble’s moderators. 
• File a complaint with the FTC. If you sent sensitive data or lost money, you should also report what happened to the FTC by using IdentityTheft.gov (for loss of sensitive data) or ReportFraud.ftc.gov (for fraud). You can also file a complaint with the FBI through the Internet Crime Complaint Center (IC3).
• Change all of your passwords. Once you know your devices are clean, log in to your accounts and change all of your passwords. Create strong, unique passwords for every account that you have, so attackers can’t use one to break into them all.
• Run antivirus software on all of your devices. Many scammers rely on malware to feed them information about their victims. Your devices may be tracking your inputs (like login credentials) and sending them to scammers. Use a trusted antivirus program to ensure your devices haven’t been compromised.
• Monitor your bank accounts and credit score. Scammers often seek access to your bank account or credit file. Closely monitor both, and consider either freezing your credit with all three major bureaus (Experian, Equifax, and TransUnion) or getting a credit monitoring app.
• Consider signing up for identity theft protection. All-in-one security platforms like Aura monitor and protect your most sensitive personal details, financial accounts, and devices against hackers and fraudsters. Learn more about how Aura keeps you safe.

How To Protect Yourself

Scammers are increasingly turning to dating apps like Bumble in search of victims to exploit. Don’t let yourself be vulnerable to their tactics. Remember to follow these secure best practices when talking to connections on Bumble:

• Research new contacts on Google to find out if they’re real.
• Slow down, and don’t let new contacts rush you into making decisions.
• Never send money to people you meet on the internet.
• Don’t share personal data with people you don’t know.
• Avoid switching chat apps, and stay on Bumble’s in-app chat as long as you can.
• Familiarize yourself with Bumble’s community guidelines.
• Don’t click on links from untrusted sources.

Subscribing to an identity theft protection service like Aura can help safeguard your private life from scammers. Every Aura plan includes a wide range of digital security tools, award-winning identity theft and credit monitoring features, 24/7 U.S.-based White Glove Fraud Resolution support, and $1 million in insurance coverage against damages resulting from identity theft. 

Don’t get scammed while looking for love. Try Aura free for 14 days.