Tinder users targeted: The emotional scam of restaurants using dating app to lure customers
Thanks to Tinder, finding a suitable partner has never been simpler. If you're attracted to someone, swipe their photo to the right; if not, swipe left. In this intuitive way, the app pairs users up. What happens next, of course, is entirely up to them.
11:42 AM EST, February 18, 2024
The common choice for a first date is often a restaurant, a safe and enjoyable setting. A certain American woman shared her noteworthy experience online. She set up a date at a restaurant with a potential match, only to discover upon arrival that her date had stood her up. Even more upsetting was her subsequent realization that this seemed to be a premeditated scheme, and she wasn't the only victim.
She organized a restaurant date only to be stood up
Taylor, a TikTok user, posted a video that rapidly gained attention. In it, she recounts her story about a date she had arranged with a charming stranger she met on Tinder. The man seemed polite and invited her to a particular restaurant after a brief conversation. Eagerly, Taylor agreed. However, once she arrived at the agreed restaurant, it quickly dawned on her that she had been stood up. Despite searching and waiting for the man for approximately fifteen minutes, he never showed up.
Attempting to contact him through Tinder, she discovered they were no longer matched, which meant they could no longer exchange messages. Feeling frustrated but resigned, Taylor decided to salvage part of the evening by ordering a meal anyway. Unfortunately, she also discovered that she had been the victim of catfishing, a deceptive practice where someone pretends to be someone else online for personal or financial gain.
A Tinder scam
However, Taylor's story took an unexpected turn when she discovered she wasn't stood up by the man but rather the restaurant. Increasingly, establishments are creating fake accounts on dating apps. They use images of attractive individuals to make the profile seem credible and then arrange a date at their own restaurant. When the disappointed dater inevitably stays to eat, the restaurant profits. It's a common scam, but one that plays heartlessly with people's emotions.
Taylor's video sparked outrage and sympathy among viewers. Just a few comments left by viewers include:
"You should reveal the name of the restaurant."
"Tell us the name of the place, so we can avoid it."
"It's shocking how low some people will stoop."
