Technology has transformed romance. With the rise of the Internet and mobile apps, online dating services have overwhelmingly replaced traditional ways of meeting a romantic partner, offering unprecedented personalization, flexibility and convenience to users in search of a meaningful human connection.
But online dating has also become fertile ground for deception by malicious actors. As users increasingly encounter romance scams on matchmaking websites and apps, the rapid proliferation of artificial intelligence (AI) tools is poised to enable fraudsters to prey on victims at scale with sophisticated fake profiles.
The future of romance doesn’t necessarily mean one dominated by fake accounts, however. As AI-driven romance scams proliferate, tools that capture “proof of human” will become essential to securing our online interactions, allowing digital relationships to flourish in an ecosystem built on authenticity and trust.
The Rise Of Online Dating And Digital Romance Scams
When it comes to modern love, the digital world reigns supreme. In the United States—the online dating capital of the world—matchmaking websites and apps have rapidly displaced family, friends, school and work as the primary method of meeting romantic partners, with roughly 39% of Americans meeting their partner online in 2017. That trend accelerated during the Covid-19 pandemic, which saw singles stuck at home relying on digital courtship more than ever before. And while research indicates many young people are swearing off dating apps, roughly 381 million people used these services in 2023, propelling the sector to nearly $3 billion in revenue as providers continue to develop more personalized matchmaking algorithms.
As online dating flourishes, so do romance scams. The predatory use of a fake identity to forge a romantic relationship, commonly known as “catfishing,” can result in significant financial losses for unsuspecting users; indeed, the Federal Trade Commission estimates that such scams cost more than 64,000 Americans an estimated $1.14 billion in 2023 alone. With half of online dating service users reporting suspected encounters with scammers, this malicious activity undermines the environment of authenticity and trust services rely on to foster meaningful connections.
The rise of AI has only exacerbated this problem. Scammers now use AI to create elaborate fake profiles to catfish victims, conjuring up convincing deepfake photos and using chatbots to keep targets engaged in real time. Just last month, reports surfaced that fraudsters even used AI to convince a woman she was in a relationship with actor Brad Pitt, eventually bilking her out of more than $800,000.
While matchmaking apps are slowly embracing AI to enhance the online dating experience, bad actors threaten to unleash a flood of scams that may render the digital landscape increasingly difficult to navigate.
The Need For A ‘Proof Of Human’
As AI-empowered scammers threaten digital romantics, online dating services need better systems for ensuring trust and authenticity on their platforms. They need a “proof of human.”
“Proof of human” refers to methods that verify an online user as, in fact, a real, flesh-and-blood human being and not a bot or AI. Proof-of-human systems have been around since English mathematician Alan Turing developed his famous “imitation game” in 1949 to challenge machines to exhibit human-like intelligence. When applied to online platforms, such methods can ensure integrity by preventing automated exploitation and abuse like spam, scams or misinformation.
The potential applications of proof-of-human systems extend beyond online dating. On social media, such methods can root out bots and fake accounts tasked with spreading misinformation, scams and other harmful content. In e-commerce, online retailers can employ these systems to detect counterfeit product listings and fake reviews and prevent fraudulent buyers and sellers from swindling consumers. And when it comes to financial transactions, proof-of-human tests can even prevent identity theft, phishing and money laundering.
What Comes Next
While technology has transformed how people connect and build lasting relationships, it also requires safeguards to preserve trust and authenticity amid potential abuse from bad actors. As dating platforms grow, they also become targets for scammers and bots, threats that undermine the trust and authenticity vital to fostering healthy connections online. Without safeguards, users are left vulnerable to catfishing, emotional manipulation and financial exploitation, highlighting the urgent need for tools that prioritize security and transparency in digital matchmaking.
There are avenues available to address these challenges. Dating platforms must pursue the adoption of robust proof-of-human tests to verify the authenticity of users, while policymakers can support this effort by implementing regulations that encourage (or even mandate) online identity verification while also respecting privacy rights. Simultaneously, users themselves must remain vigilant while navigating online dating platforms, carefully vetting profiles and even advocating for those platforms to adopt safer practices.
With AI-generated fake personas at the ready, online scammers are working to separate an entire generation of romantics from their wealth, no matter what emotional and financial ruin they leave in their wake. By working together, platforms, regulators and users can collectively enhance trust and authenticity, ensuring that the digital age strengthens, rather than compromises, the pursuit of love. (Forbes)
