Nearly Two-Thirds of UK Online Daters Have Matched with Fake Profiles

Nearly Two-Thirds of UK Online Daters Have Matched with Fake Profiles

New research from GBG, the global identity technology business enabling safe and rewarding digital lives, reveals that 61% of people that have used dating apps or websites in the UK have matched with a profile they have later discovered, or strongly suspected, was a bot, scammer or a catfish. Additionally, 62% of respondents do not think companies that run dating applications and websites currently do enough to protect their users online, a figure that rises to 67% amongst women.

The data highlights a growing concern among UK singles regarding the authenticity of their connections. In fact, 42% of dating app users struggle to tell the difference between a real person and a fake profile on the apps they use. In the age of deepfakes and AI, this challenge is surprisingly most acute among digital natives; 52% of 18-24-year-olds report difficulty distinguishing genuine users from fraudulent ones. Eleven per cent of all users have matched with a profile they believe is a bot, scammer or catfish more than five times. Men report these frequent encounters at over triple the rate of women (16% vs. 5%).

As a result, 54% of users would be "unwilling to meet a romantic interest in person" unless their dating profile had been verified by a formal ID check, such as a passport scan.

Since the introduction of the Online Safety Act in October 2023, dating applications have enjoyed a grace period for platforms to complete their mandatory Illegal Harms Risk Assessments. In March 2026, this period will conclude and platforms must move from reactively deleting reported scammers to proactively preventing them from joining platforms. Under the Act, failure to mitigate the risk of fraud and “priority illegal harms”, such as harassment, cyberflashing and image abuse, can result in significant enforcement action from Ofcom.

Gus Tomlinson, Chief Technology and Product Officer at GBG, said: “The data suggests that identity verification is moving from an optional perk to a regulatory and public necessity. Singles wanting to make a connection, want to do so with confidence that the person or people they engage with are genuine individuals. As AI tools become more accessible and it becomes increasingly difficult to distinguish what is real from what is fake, it’s in the interest of platforms to create a baseline for online safety that reassures customers individuals on the app are there for the same reason. Additionally, anonymity erodes digital trust, and when dating profiles are not tied to an identity, there is a lack of accountability for those looking to exploit dating applications and websites to commit illegal harms.”

Singles in the UK are in favour of a shift towards identity-first dating to ensure a safer digital environment:

• 57% of users would share a copy of their government-issued ID with an app if it guaranteed that every other user on the platform was also 100% verified.
• 33% of users would stop using their current app or switch to a competitor if it made identity verification mandatory for everyone.
• 56% believe that digital regulation like the Online Safety Act will be effective in keeping them safe online.

Methodology

Walnut Omnibus is a quantitative syndicated survey conducted twice a week. The survey is conducted online, interviewing a nationally representative sample of 2,000 GB adults (aged 18+). Thirty-five per cent (729) of respondents have used dating apps. Interviews are completed by members of Walnut's newvista panel who have agreed to take part in surveys. The responding sample is weighted to the profile of the sample definition to provide a representative reporting sample. The nationally representative profile is based on census data collected by National Office for Statistics.

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GBG is the leading expert in global identity and location tech, enabling safe and rewarding digital lives for genuine people, everywhere.

For over 30 years, we have combined global data with our innovative technology to make sure that genuine people everywhere can digitally prove who they are and where they live.

We provide mission-critical services that protect against digital crime, strengthens business resilience and drives responsible growth, at scale, across a diverse range of sectors. Today, our team of over 1,100 people serve more than 20,000 customers globally.

GBG is a publicly traded company (LSE: GBG). Find out more at www.gbg.com and follow us on LinkedIn.