Dating apps are evolving rapidly with new AI tools, but scammers and abusers are keeping up. The rise of deepfakes poses a terrifying new threat, allowing perpetrators to create entirely original images of fake personas. This article explores the dangers of deepfakes and traditional catfishing in the online dating world, highlighting the emotional and financial toll on victims.
Modern dating is not for the weak. Earlier this year, a French woman went viral after being duped out of £700,000 by scammers who led her to believe she was in a romantic relationship with Brad Pitt. Think that could never happen to you? Neither did the 300 women who reported an account posing as BBC presenter Gethin Jones on Hinge for catfishing. Little did they know the person behind the account was none other than… Gethin Jones, who was kicked off the app for his trouble.
“Some were confused, others were angry,” she tells GLAMOUR. “They genuinely believed they’d built a connection with me – except it wasn’t me. Someone had stolen my face and used it to manipulate people, and I had no way of stopping it.” In Jodie's case, the catfishing didn't appear to be part of a financial fraud; it was all about inflicting emotional damage – both on Jodie and the victims who believed they knew her. “It was terrifying,” she adds.
Relationships DEEPFAKES CATFISHING DATING APPS SCAMMING ABUSE
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