I was catfished by the Tinder Swindler – and these are the red flags to look out for to avoid falling victim of a romance scam

By James On Dec 17, 2023

The saying goes that if it sounds too good to be true, it probably is – and that's certainly the case when it comes to online dating.

Research from ExpressVPN has shown that as many as 22 percent of Brits have fallen victim to catfishing in their lifetime.

While catfishing can take place on virtually any online platform, Tinder remains one of the top apps where perpetrators prey on unsuspecting victims.

One person who knows all too well how easy it is to be misled on the dating app is Cecilie Fjellhoy, who was famously duped by the 'Tinder Swindler'.

Now Ms Fjellhoy has spoken to MailOnline about her experiences, in the hope of preventing anyone else from being scammed.

One person who knows all too well how easy it is to be tricked on the dating app is Cecilie Fjellhoy, who was famously duped by the 'Tinder Swindler'

Ms Fjellhoy, 34, is a user experience designer from Norway, and was one of many women fooled into thinking Shimon Heyada Hayut (pictured), from Israel, was the son of a billionaire diamond trader after she met him on Tinder.

Ms Fjellhoy, 34, is a user experience designer from Norway, and was one of many women fooled into thinking Shimon Heyada Hayut, from Israel, was the son of a billionaire diamond dealer after meeting him on Tinder had met.

The convicted conman would use the money he obtained from other victims to impress single women with an expensive lifestyle and lavish gifts.

Incredibly, he is believed to have conned women out of a total of around £7.4 million.

Speaking to MailOnline, Ms Fjellhoy said: 'As far as my experience goes, we met on Tinder and honestly fell in love.

'Great dates and hundreds of great messages and videos.

“We met in person several times while he was traveling the world as CEO of a major diamond company.”

Ms Fjellhoy says there were early warning signs that his business was not the safest.

“After a while, he told me that he was in danger from threats from his competitors and that he could get hurt if he used one of his own credit cards,” she explained.

'That's why he asked if he could use my cards and also wanted me to take out loans to fill them up.

“He promised he would pay me back as soon as it was safe.

Ms Fjellhoy has spoken to MailOnline about her experiences in the hope of preventing anyone else from being scammed

Although catfishing can take place on virtually any online platform, Tinder remains one of the top apps where perpetrators prey on unsuspecting victims

“After all, he was a multi-millionaire, so I trusted him.

“But I ended up getting scammed out of almost $200,000. I felt humiliated, ashamed and remorseful.”

While you might think Ms Fjellhoy's case sounds unique, a survey of 2,000 Brits by ExpressVPN revealed just how widespread catfishing really is.

Twenty-two percent of respondents said they had fallen victim to catfish in their lifetime; a quarter of them had spoken to the perpetrator for more than a year before realizing they were a catfish.

Additionally, 12 percent of victims said they had been scammed out of money or gifts.

“The positive thing is that since I told my story on The Tinder Swindler, so many people – both men and women – have come forward with similar stories,” Ms Fjellhoy said.

“It's quite shocking to see how often this happens.”

Ms Fjellhoy has now revealed the warning signs you should look out for to avoid falling victim to a romance scam.

“First of all, if someone sounds too good to be true, chances are they don't really exist,” she said.

“We all have imperfections in one form or another – there really is no such thing as the 'perfect profile'.”

On a more practical level, Ms. Fjellhoy recommends doing a reverse image search on anyone's photos that you think is a catfish.

“This is an easy way to see if the photos of the person you're talking to actually belong to someone else,” she added.

Finally, Ms. Fjellhoy says she used a VPN to add an extra layer of protection.

“(A VPN) ensures that your IP address is masked at all times, protecting your location and privacy and keeping you safe online,” she said.

HOW CAN YOU CHECK IF YOU ARE CATFISHED?

Dating apps and online websites are plagued by fraudulent profiles, also known as 'catfishes'.

'Catfishing' originated as a term for the process of luring people into false relationships, but now also includes people providing false information about themselves in general.

These profiles often use images of another person, so users can pretend to be someone else to get a date, or scam money from a lonely heart.

Fortunately, there are certain ways to check if these profiles are real people or if they are fake accounts:

1. Google reverse image search

This is probably the most valuable tool for catching a catfish and can be done via Google.

To get the process started, people just need to right-click on the photos that raise their suspicions, copy the URL and enter images.google.com.

The search engine will look to see whether the image has been used elsewhere.

If you find the photo associated with a different person than the one you're talking to on your dating app, you've probably met a catfish!

2. Use an app called Veracity

It's useful for dating sites like Tinder, Bumble and Grindr, as images from Dropbox or Camera Roll (or similar) can be compared with matching results.

Load the app and then select a screenshot of the suspicious dating app profile from your camera roll to start the search.

The app tells you if the photo belongs to someone else.

3. Check their Facebook

Almost everyone who has a profile on a dating site has a Facebook account (after all, most dating apps require users to have one!), so it's always advisable to track down your potential suitor on other forms of social media.

4. Google them

Google and other search engines have an extensive repertoire and most people will show up in a search.

Nowadays it's unusual for someone to have nothing on Google.

Look for them or their family members, for the things they have said or posted in the past. If there is none, that should set alarm bells ringing.

5. Skype/Facetime/Video chat

For future romantic engagements, seeing the face of someone you're talking to virtually is essential.

6. Money

Anyone asking for money online or through an app is likely a fraudster.

This is likely a scam and should raise immediate warning signs.