{
  "id": 2677965,
  "title": "Swipe right, lose big: Dating apps become hunting grounds for scammers [WATCH]",
  "url": "https://urgent.news/2026/08/22/swipe-right-lose-big-dating-apps-become-hunting-grounds-for-scammers",
  "topic": "world",
  "section": "World",
  "published": "2026-08-22T23:50:21.000Z",
  "source": {
    "name": "New Straits Times",
    "slug": "new-straits-times",
    "url": "https://www.nst.com.my/news/nation/2026/08/1516828/swipe-right-lose-big-dating-apps-become-hunting-grounds-scammers-watch"
  },
  "original_language": "en",
  "account": "KUALA LUMPUR: Modern romance on dating apps is increasingly a trap for Malaysian victims, luring them into elaborate scams and exploitation. Rather than demanding immediate money, these syndicates craft elaborate ruses, using dating platforms to earn trust before steering victims towards financial crimes. Dating apps merely serve as an entry point; once a relationship is formed, conversations shift to other communication channels, allowing scammers to continue manipulating victims beyond the reach of the original app. The danger is compounded as financial fraud is often merely a symptom of broader exploitation, with victims facing threats like blackmail, sextortion, non-consensual sharing of intimate images, and even physical attacks. In the last four years, over 462 Malaysians, mostly aged 21 to 40, suffered a combined RM32.7 million loss from scams tied to dating apps, averaging nearly RM20,000 daily from January 2022 to June 2024. New Straits Times has contacted seven dating apps suspected as initial points of contact, but their responses are pending. Federal Commercial Crime Investigation Department (CCID) director Datuk Rusdi Mohd Isa revealed that dating apps have become a favored avenue for syndicates to identify and approach potential victims before ensnaring them in scam operations. Syndicates invest considerable time in building relationships and emotionally manipulating victims before requesting money or introducing fraudulent schemes. They target individuals who are single, divorced, widowed, or living alone, adapting their approach to victims' backgrounds, interests, financial needs, and emotional circumstances. Police data shows the number of cases surged from 54 in 2022 to 183 in 2024, with 75 cases already recorded this year, indicating ongoing exploitation of dating apps. Only six months of data are available, but another 75 cases have been recorded, suggesting the problem persists. The RM32.7 million lost over the period saw a significant spike in 2023, with RM14.44 million lost last year alone, more than triple the RM4.63 million reported in 2024. This surge indicates that scams from dating apps now extend beyond small financial requests, involving complex schemes like fake investment opportunities, bogus trading platforms, and cryptocurrency scams that prompt repeated large transfers. Of the RM32.7 million lost, 75 Malaysians lost RM4.3 million in the first half of this year. While love scams remain prevalent, accounting for 36.6% of reports, they are no longer the primary financial threat. Fake investment scams now cause the highest losses at RM16.38 million from 145 cases. Victims are now persuaded to invest in nonexistent cryptocurrency or fake trading platforms promising high returns. Other scams linked to dating apps include telecommunications fraud, e-commerce scams, parcel scams, fake job offers, identity impersonation, and nonexistent loan schemes. However, Rusdi stresses that dating apps should not be blamed. The real threat lies in the syndicates' manipulation tactics, which exploit human emotions, cultivate trust over time, and only then demand financial transactions or fraudulent investments. He urges the public to remember that genuine romantic relationships should never hinge on money transfers, emergency payments, investment opportunities, or sharing financial information. Any request for money in an online relationship should be treated as a warning sign, and victims should verify before taking any action.",
  "summary": "KUALA LUMPUR: A match on an online dating app is no longer the start of a lifelong romance for some Malaysians, as it could mean being tangled in a sophisticated web of scams and exploitation.",
  "key_points": [
    "Dating apps serve as entry point for Malaysian scammers, not primary scamming platform.",
    "Over 462 Malaysians lost RM32.7 million in scams tied to dating apps over four years.",
    "Scams now involve fake investments, cryptocurrency, and blackmail, not just money requests."
  ],
  "editors_take": "The increasing use of dating apps by scammers to exploit Malaysian victims, often through elaborate ruses and emotional manipulation, signals a shift in tactics that compounds the financial and personal risks to users.",
  "illustration": null,
  "coverage": {
    "outlets": 2,
    "also_reported_by": [
      {
        "outlet": "New Straits Times",
        "title": "Dating apps must step up safeguards against scam syndicates [WATCH]",
        "url": "https://urgent.news/2026/08/23/dating-apps-must-step-up-safeguards-against-scam-syndicates-watch",
        "published": "2026-08-23T00:30:19.000Z"
      }
    ]
  },
  "ai_generated": true,
  "disclaimer": "Summaries, key points and the editor’s take are written by software from other outlets’ reporting and may contain errors — always check the linked original."
}