Women issue urgent warning to dating app users after horrific scammer ‘totally ruins their lives’
A group of women are urging others to do background checks on people they meet on dating apps.
It comes after Peter Gray, 35, was jailed for defrauding four women out of around £80,000 ($100,000) after meeting them on Tinder, according to the BBC.
One victim said Gray "totally ruined my life".
The BBC reports Gray was sentenced to 56 months in prison in February, as well as being given restraining orders in relation to the victims.
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One of the women told BBC Radio 5 Live that she met Gray on Tinder in 2018, and went on multiple dates with him.
She said that on the third date she was at his apartment, and when she went to use the bathroom she left her bag on the table and he reportedly took pictures of her driving licence and bank cards.
She later found out he took loans out in her name - up to the value of £9,000 ($11,000), the BBC said.
Even though Gray offered to pay the money back over time, she still went to the police.
And the other women report similar stories - meeting Gray on Tinder, then later discovering he had taken out a loan in their name.
When one of the women found out she was pregnant, she did a background check on Gray and spoke to one of his former partners, who told her about his past.
According to the BBC, two of the women used the Domestic Violence Disclosure Scheme (also known as Clare's Law), which means you can ask the police for a background check on a partner.
A spokesperson from Tinder said: "'The unfortunate reality is that scammers may pull on the heartstrings and prey on those looking for love or connection - not just on dating apps but on all online platforms.
"Tinder acts to help prevent and warn users of potential scams or fraud by using AI tools to detect words and phrases and proactively intervene.
"We have implemented various ways to warn users of potential scams or fraud, from in-app features to popup messages and education. We encourage our users to look for the ‘blue tick’, which indicates that the user’s age and likeness have been verified through our Photo and ID Verification programmes, which require users to submit an official document (either passport or driving license).
"All users can request that their match be photo-verified prior to messaging. We also partner with NGOs (non-governmental organizations) and local authorities to promote awareness of online fraud."
It's important to protect yourself from romance scams when online dating. This can be as simple as not sharing personal details with a stranger, only using trusted dating websites, not sending money to someone you've just met and trusting your instincts.
Some red flags that someone might be a scammer might be if they ask loads of personal questions about you, they avoid answering questions about themselves and are keen to get off the dating app or site and chat elsewhere.