Fake Profiles on Dating Sites

If you have used any online dating platforms, you probably heard about Fake Profiles or Fake Accounts. You may have even interacted with such profiles at some point, with or without realizing it.

In this article, we will discuss what Fake Profiles are, why they exist in the first place and give tips on recognizing them.

Let's start from the beginning.

There are multiple reasons why Fake Profiles exist on various dating sites. Often it is a combination of several reasons.

Firstly, fake profiles help to bring users' attention and interest to a dating site. For example, when the dating site is new, the database of real members on a dating site is limited. And let's be honest, no one wants to use a dating site with no members or be the first on board. So, when a new dating site is launched, they need to create fictional or fake profiles to make it look more appealing. Otherwise, they would never get new members and would not make money.

Secondly, fake profiles help to create an impression of a very active dating site with many members online whenever you log in. In real life, no one is active on a dating app or a site 24/7. People have busy lives and various commitments, which makes being available to chat with someone any time of the day impossible. Plus, online dating is still taboo, so many people avoid opening their account on a dating site in front of others. 

However, as a user, once you spare some time for a dating site - you want to find people to talk to you online. Especially if you are paying for a dating site. No matter if it's midnight or 7 am. That's where fake profiles come in handy. Fake profiles can always have a status active or online on a dating site. This helps to create the impression that users are always active online, meaning they can chat with you anytime.

Lastly, fake profiles can be on a dating sites for so-called Entertainment purposes. This means that chat agents are involved when replying to messages on behalf of fake profiles. Chat agents are people whose job is to answer messages on behalf of fake profiles. They aim to keep the user engaged in chat for as long as possible so they would be happy with the service. Or, you could always find someone to talk to. However, you will never make it to a real date with such a fake profile.

Read more about who is behind fake profiles in the next paragraph.

Fake profiles might message you first, answer your questions and keep you chatting with them for a while. The question is, if the profile is fake, who is talking on behalf of it? Usually, one out of three: chat bots, chat agents, or random people. Shortly about each: 

Chat Bots are automated messages where a computer program is trained to reply to some questions and start a conversation with a template message. They might have a more or less extensive database of template messages depending on how good the algorithm is. Bots can send messages on behalf of fake profiles anytime and in any language. It's relatively easy to recognize that you are talking with a bot, especially if you exchange more than two messages.

Chat agents who talk on behalf of fake profiles are professionally trained, so they know how to act to make a conversation look natural. It is easier for them to reply to more complex questions and memorize every detail mentioned. It is much more challenging to recognize that profile is fake if you have an actual human chatting behind it. Such communication can last for weeks or even years. Or as long as a user is paying for the service. The chat agent gets paid to do the chatting from the user's money paid for the credits or subscriptions on the platform. So if the person you are in touch with is not willing to chat with you on a free messenger - ask why?

Sometimes random people might create fake profiles and manage them while chatting to get affiliate commissions. They can make such profiles on dating sites, social media platforms, or random chat rooms. Usually, they are not willing o chat for a very long time because they don't get paid to do that. Their main goal is to get members from free platforms to particular paid dating sites from which they would receive financial rewards for bringing a new user. So, if you receive a link to another dating or chat platform from unknown profiles, chances are it's fake and has no interest in you.

How difficult it is to recognize a fake profile will often depend on who is chatting on behalf of it - a programmed bot or a real human chat agent. Try applying these tips if you suspect that someone you are talking to online is not who he/she is saying to be.

1. Fake profiles often start the conversation first. As their task is to attract your attention
2. Their profile pictures often look too good to be real, which means extremely good-looking, like models or celebrities. Sometimes, if the profile belongs to a woman - they can be very seductive too.
3. Their profile picture often appears to be stolen. Usually, if you check the profile picture through the Google Image search engine, you will find out that it belongs to some celebrity or influencer with a different name
4. Fake profiles can aim to bring you to a different site or platform than the one you started a conversation. They might send you a link saying there is a better place to chat than the one you use. If you follow the link, you will often realize that you have to pay to join or use the recommended platform's full functionalities.
5. You might tackle a fake profile in the conversation by asking more complicated questions. If it's a bot answering messages on behalf of a fake profile, you will get a senseless reply.
6. If you were talking with a person/profile for a while and never convinced them to meet in real life. Chances are it's fake, and you are simply chatting with a professional entertainer.