Just like how other dating apps are victims of bots reigning terror on their platforms, Hinge is no stranger to the fake profiles issue.

You will encounter two types of fake profiles: regular bots and catfishes, both of which you can spot through specifically designed tricks.

These tricks will allow you to browse the mystic matchmaker we know as Hinge without worrying about being scammed out of your life savings!

Bots on Hinge: What are they and how to spot them?

“Bot” is short for “robot”. On dating apps, they’re programmed to mimic human behavior in a way that attracts users.

While you’re on Hinge, chatting to what you think is a cute human being, is actually someone’s creation whose purpose is to scam you using readily-available prompts.

These are my tips for spotting bots:

1. Ask them something eccentric…something only a human could answer.

Bots can only answer the questions they were programmed to, probably something like: 

“What’s your favorite color?” or “ Who did you ship Jackie with from That ‘70s Show?”

But if you were to ask your Hinge match what their 5th favorite paranormal bath bomb is, they’d tweak if they’re a bot.

So, have fun with it—ask the strangest question that comes to mind!

2. Pay close attention to the way they text.

Since bots use prompts, 2 things may stand out:

• Their replies are inhumanly fast;
• They don’t particularly make any sense.

In the example taken above, a human would call you out for your weird answer; a bot would either ignore your question or answer in a nonsensical way, e.g.:

“You are so sweet! By the way, I am from the US and looking for a relationship.”

3. Ask for voice notes on Hinge.

The brightest, most bot-proof idea any dating app could come up with is implementing voice messages that make it difficult for fake profiles to come up with excuses.

If you’re in doubt, just ask your match to send one casually—you can make it seem as if you really want to hear their voice.

4. Scrutinize their profile: basically links, photos, and prompts!

Analyzing your Hinge match’s profile will raise the existing red flags (if there are any) because bots are, well, “stupid” in the sense they don’t know how to act human.

– Let’s start with links. There shouldn’t be any links on a Hinge profile because everyone knows how suspicious they look.

Especially ones that claim to show you a user’s socials…or nudes.

– Next, we have images. If you notice their images are “Instagram-worthy” (meaning you get a feeling they’re too good to be true), run.

The same goes if they have photos of celebrities or no photos of their face at all—something only bots can get away with due to the photo verification process.

– Lastly, let’s talk about prompts. From what I’ve seen, fake Hinge profiles are the ones messing up prompts.

So for example, if the prompt is “On a Friday night, I like to…”, a bot’s response would be “Comfort is the #1 priority in a relationship!”

5. Fact-check their info in real time.

Even bots wouldn’t make the mistake of having an empty Hinge profile, so they resort to using content that may contradict their statements. 

Let me give some examples.

1. Let’s say they claim their race is Asian, yet use images of white women.

2. They say they live in America, but you only see images of them in other countries (pay attention to the words on their images!!).

3. On their Hinge profile, it says they’re an accountant, but later on they tell you they’re a completely different profession.

6. Look for a verified badge.

Photo verification on Hinge is really important because you know who’s using their actual images and who’s stolen them.

However, having a Hinge verified badge doesn’t always mean someone’s a real person.

7. Ask yourself “Why are they on my feed?”

Hinge does its best to show only the compatible people on your feed, based on the preferences you set upon making your profile.

This means Hinge already knows who you’re looking for in terms of looks and personality. 

It’s very rare to see a user whose character does not align with your preferences, and when you do, chances are it’s a bot.

E.g., if you specified you only date non-smokers yet Hinge matched you with a smoker.

Catfishes on Hinge: Everything you need to know about them.

The other kind of fake Hinge profiles are catfishes: real humans stealing fellow real humans’ identities for malicious gain.

The gain we’re talking about is usually criminal in nature, such as monetary scams or criminal organizations.

Catfishes may be a bit harder to notice because of their human intelligence, which makes them all the more dangerous, so this is how to spot them:

1. Use SwindlerBuster to see if they’ve stolen their images.

If you go to SwindlerBuster and press on the Face button, you get the option to upload your Hinge match’s photo to find out where else it appears.

Social media, news outlets, other Hinge accounts, etc.!

Usually, catfish won’t risk using their face, so they resort to using images of random, appealing individuals.

And for no more than $5, you can find out if you’re being catfished by a dating app match in an effective, speedy manner!

2. Again, ask for a voice message.

Voice messages on Hinge are useful for catching catfishes too, but only in the case they’re lying about their gender or age.

You can ask your Hinge match to send you one, but keep in mind they might find ways to give you what you’re looking for w/o using their real voice.

3. If they don’t have a badge, they’re a catfish.

Just like with bots, not having a verification badge could also mean a Hinge user is catfishing, given how easy the whole process is.

To prove you’re a real human, Hinge will have you following specific selfie prompts which you will have to repeat whenever you change the images on your account.

If someone’s catfishing, meaning they’re using someone else’s photos, they’re unable to complete the selfie verification process.

4. Use trick questions whenever possible.

You can catch them on a lie by asking them questions about their life whenever they give you an important piece of information.

For instance, if they claim to be living in LA, quiz them about things only someone from LA would know.

Specific streets, restaurants, spots, etc.! What I like to do is make something up to see if the catfish falls into my trap.

“Omg! You’re from LA? I went there just last year. Have you ever been to [fake restaurant]? I loved the crab cakes.”

5. Ask to meet IRL.

Before I go on, please be careful who you’re saying this to, as some criminals are waiting to get you in desolate places.

The key here is not ACTUALLY meeting them IRL, but pretending as if you will to see if their only intention is to scam you out of your money.

Whenever they tell you they live in a certain city, tell them you live close by and that you’d love to meet up for some coffee soon.

If they’re weird about the whole thing they may be a catfish.

• Do this only if you’re 99.9% sure they’re catfishing you, otherwise, they might refuse to go out because they’re afraid.

6. Is their behavior overly sexual, whiny, or hasty?

People behind fake Hinge profiles don’t have time to play most of the time. They’re there for something, and would rather not waste time flirting.

– Beware of hasty matches. These are the users who are rushing you into spilling private information such as your credit card information. They don’t bother to get to know you at all. It’s like boom…we’re together.

– The sexual persona. Catfishes tend to employ the most popular persona on dating apps, which in this case is sensuality. You might notice your match being extremely sexual, right off the bat.

– The sob-story teller. Hinge fake profiles may sometimes tell you sob stories to get you to send money out of pity.

• Note that many dangerous users may have a seemingly, completely normal behavior. Be cautious no matter what.

Mix and match as you see fit.

When there’s no telling whether a Hinge profile is fake as in a bot or catfish, use whichever method you deem practical.

For example, you can catch a Hinge catfish by analyzing their profile as well, but not by asking them a goofy question they can see right through.

One thing’s for sure though: never leave safety precautions aside for your own good.

Stay safe!