There are ninety-four thousand new users on Bumble each day and each week, twenty-three million new matches made(1). Bumble is evidently one of the most popular dating platforms in the modern era. However, popularity also attracts a wide assortment of people, including those who want to exploit the platform for malicious purposes.
One of the most dangerous online crimes today also intersects perfectly with Bumble… sextortion. This online crime is when someone threatens to release a victim’s explicit images or videos unless they are financially compensated. These sextortionists use online platforms like Bumble to find their victims and create catfish profiles to lure them into a false relationship. Even though Bumble is a mostly safe platform, there is still a risk to using it. The best way to minimize the risk is by understanding how sextortionists operate.
Understanding the Tactics of Sextortion Scammers on Bumble
Cybercriminals using Bumble for scams is similar to how they use other platforms. They rely on deception to manipulate their victims into paying them money. The medium may be different, but the tactics are exactly the same.
The Sextortion Process: How Scammers Operate
Starting with a catfish profile, the blackmailer uses a fake persona to lure in an unsuspecting victim, giving them attention and affection. After building enough trust and rapport, the perpetrator suggests taking the relationship to the next level by exchanging intimate images with each other. However, this is when the entire conversation changes.
After the scammer receives the victim’s compromising images and videos, the sextortionist threatens to expose the victim’s images unless they pay a certain amount. The criminal will add more pressure with aggressive language and constant threats to send the private images to the family and friends of the victim. The betrayal and barrage of threats can emotionally devastate a victim, leading to social isolation and depression.
Common Red Flags and Warning Signs
There’s a lot of deception involved in Bumble scams. You may think that a profile is real because of surface-level details but underneath you will find a variety of warning signs. We have compiled the common red flags when dealing with sextortion on Bumble, starting with “love bombing”.
- Sudden, intense affection or “love bombing.” Blackmailers are emotional manipulators and want to quickly build a bond with the victim. They will shower you with compliments otherwise known as “love bombing”.
- Requests to move the conversation off Bumble quickly. Bumble has a strict policy on exchanging explicit images. Some scammers know this and will try to move the conversation off Bumble quickly.
- Suspicious profiles with limited information or stock photos. Catfish profiles will use basic images to populate a profile or they will steal images from other online sources.
- Requests for explicit photos or videos early in the relationship. Scammers will try to hasten a relationship to trade explicit images in a short amount of time. However, this is a clear red flag of impure motivations.
- Requests for money. Catfishers may not resort to sextortion first. They may commit a romance scam beforehand. A romance scam is a long con where a scammer creates a fake romantic relationship. Then, they create fake emergencies to request money from the victim. Romance scams can last years and may devolve into sextortion as well.
Practical Steps to Prevent Sextortion on Bumble
Sextortion on Bumble is taken seriously by the platform. They provide ways to report sextortion and other Bumble scams. However, there are also preventative measures you can use to lower the risk of encountering sextortion on Bumble.
Protecting Your Personal Information
You should avoid sharing sensitive details like your address, workplace, any financial information, and even other social media profiles in conversations. Linking social media accounts to your profile may seem like a helpful feature for Bumble. However, sextortionists will typically threaten to send your explicit images to your social media followers. The less information that the criminal knows about you, the less they can threaten you.
Communicating Safely and Responsibly
On Bumble, you should never feel pressured to move fast in a relationship. Take things slow and carry a relationship forward organically. A catfisher is only interested in gaining leverage over you and getting paid which means they may make mistakes that reveals their inauthenticity. Trust your instincts. If something feels off, it probably is.
Utilizing Bumble’s Safety Features
When it comes to sextortion on Bumble, the platform has many safety features to protect its users. They outright ban sexual harassment and unsolicited explicit images. Bumble’s photo verification feature also allows users to use a live camera to match their profile image(2). There is also ID verification for Bumble to verify the age and image on the profile(3). Although these features are hurdles for those using Bumble for scams, there are still ways criminals have gotten past them.
What to Do if You’ve Been a Victim of Sextortion on Bumble
If you’ve been a victim of sextortion on Bumble, you are probably feeling a lot of emotions. It’s a traumatizing experience to be betrayed and put in a high stress situation. However, you do have options to fight back, including reporting the sextortion to the platform and authorities.
Reporting the Incident to Bumble
When it comes to reporting sextortion or a romance scam, Bumble is typically quick to act on any profile that goes against community standards. The reporting system on Bumble is simple and anonymous. You can report either profiles or conversations. Bumble offers a “Block and Report” feature in conversations and “Hide and Report” or “Unmatch and Report” features for profiles. It’s important to note that once you unmatch or block a profile, all of your messages will also be deleted(4). This is important because to take legal action against the perpetrator or work with digital investigators to trace their location, you need the messages of the blackmail occurring.
Make sure to take screenshots of messages and store the images or videos as evidence of the blackmail. In some instances, digital forensic experts may ask you to keep an open line with the blackmailer so they can track their digital footprint.
Seeking Law Enforcement and Legal Assistance
You should always report sextortion or a romance scam to your local law enforcement. You can file a report and local law enforcement may be able to help track down the perpetrator or advise you on next steps to take. However, you need evidence in order for the police to be able to help. This is why taking screenshots or having the messages is important. Having a report on file can help with future legal actions and the police may open an investigation into the matter with the right resources.
Additional Help To Protect Your Reputation
Working with cybersecurity professionals is another option that victims of Bumble scams have. Cybersecurity firms focus on removing the scammer’s anonymity and can track the data left behind by the perpetrator to reveal their identity. Digital experts can also educate victims on other cybercrimes to watch out for like romance scams, phishing tactics, and more.
Bumble’s Commitment to User Safety
The dating app is always looking for ways to reduce Bumble scams. One of the latest features that Bumble introduced is called the “Private Detector”. This feature uses AI to automatically blur any explicit images shared in a chat and will allow you to decide if you want to view it. Bumble has a zero-tolerance policy for unsolicited explicit images and will respond quickly to any report(5).
Bumble is also using AI to proactively detect fake and harmful profiles. The tool, otherwise known as the Deception DetectorTM, may automatically block accounts that they find behaving in deceptive ways. Many cybercriminals will attempt to take a conversation off Bumble to avoid any disruption in their scheme(6).
Get Help Today
There is a lot of danger today on dating apps. Bumble has scams like sextortion that can put victims into traumatic situations. It’s important to be extremely cautious when messaging a stranger and to take things slow. You may be able to pick up on red flags you wouldn’t have noticed otherwise.
However, if you have been a victim of sextortion on Bumble, Digital Forensics Corp. can help. We are cybersecurity experts that make protecting victims our main concern. Our team works on your behalf to remove the leverage the blackmailer has on you and reveal their identity to give you the leverage over them. Contact us today if you want to gain control over the situation and fight back against the perpetrator.
Sources:
- https://bumble.com/en/the-buzz/datingstatistics
- https://bumble.com/en-us/help/safety-on-bumble
- https://bumble.com/en/help/id-verification
- https://bumble.com/help/how-can-i-report-someone
- https://bumble.com/the-buzz/privatedetector?amp=1
- https://bumble.com/en-us/the-buzz/bumble-deception-detector
DISCLAIMER: THIS POST IS FOR INFORMATIONAL PURPOSES ONLY AND IS NOT TO BE CONSIDERED LEGAL ADVICE ON ANY SUBJECT MATTER. DIGITAL FORENSICS CORP. IS NOT A LAWFIRM AND DOES NOT PROVIDE LEGAL ADVICE OR SERVICES. By viewing posts, the reader understands there is no attorney-client relationship, the post should not be used as a substitute for legal advice from a licensed professional attorney, and readers are urged to consult their own legal counsel on any specific legal questions concerning a specific situation.
