- Tinder is partnering with reality star Rob Rausch to help customers avoid online romance scams, which accounted for more than $1.1 billion in losses across digital platforms last year.
- The social campaign features Rausch, a snake wrangler who appeared on Love Island, helping educate users about how to avoid scams, what to avoid when looking for a partner and how to use the platform’s verification and safety features.
- The partnership is part of the platform’s activation for World Romance Scam Prevention Day (October 3), which also includes partnerships with key influencers sharing their personal dating experiences.
This is the second year Tinder has activated around World Romance Scam Prevention Day. Last year, the platform teamed with Mean Girls actor Jonathan Bennet to highlight suspicious activity and toxic behavior that are the hallmarks of online scammers.
Working with agency Movers + Shakers, the dating platform is looking to raise awareness that romance scams affect people across all age groups across the world. According to the Federal Trade Commission, U.S. consumer losses totaled more than $1.14 billion across all digital platforms last year.
The TikTok and Instagram video features Rausch in pink overalls in a forest amidst threatening snakes. In the video, he likens the online scammers to literal snakes who are “sneaky and slippery [and] will lure you in when you least expect it.” As he grabs snakes off the ground, he says the scammers will “sweet talk you” and “make you feel like you’re the only person in the world” before asking for money. He then highlights Tinder’s any scam features, including ID verification, which places a blue check next to a user’s name.
“While the campaign is playful, the issue itself is serious,” said Stephanie Danzi, Senior VP of global marketing at Tinder, in a release. “We hope this spot will draw attention to a topic that is not readily discussed, help bring more awareness, and educate consumers on the robust safety features available on Tinder.”
In addition to the video, the platform will be sending in-app messages reminding users who are trying to play on emotions or claim to desperately need money. The company has also created a list of suspicious behaviors that users should look out for including being asked to move the conversation off the platform too quickly, escalating an emotional connection too quickly and avoiding meeting in person.
Tinder parent company Match Group said it spends $125 million annually in trust and safety teams, technology, partnerships and initiatives to protect its users. Those investments include using advanced machine learning systems to identify patterns and suspicious behaviors and making ID verification available to most U.S. users by the end of the month.
