On online dating apps, a new problem is quietly taking hold: entire profiles—photos and messages included—can now be fabricated by generative artificial intelligence. Synthetic faces, conversations carried on for weeks, even simulated video calls: the tools capable of creating a credible fake “suitor” have become significantly more sophisticated, to the point of worrying some platforms themselves.
The phenomenon isn't unique to France, but it directly affects users of the major dating apps used in the country. Several outlets specializing in digital technology report growing sophistication among these fake accounts, used both for classic romance scams and to artificially keep certain apps' activity levels up.
Profiles That Are Increasingly Hard to Unmask
A few years ago, a fake profile gave itself away with a photo that was too polished, stolen from an unknown model, or with oddly mismatched replies. That's no longer always the case: today's image generators produce faces that don't exist anywhere else on the Internet, which makes reverse image searches useless. On the conversation side, chatbots can carry on a coherent exchange over time, reproducing natural turns of phrase and personal details that are invented but plausible.
This development is a source of concern even within the dating app ecosystem itself. Some players in the industry, such as the French app happn, have publicly spoken out against the idea of letting an AI start a conversation on a user's behalf, arguing that it would strip dating of its whole point and open the door to even more automated accounts.
How Platforms Are Responding
Faced with a growing number of suspicious accounts, several apps have beefed up their verification tools. Tinder now offers an identity-check feature that compares, in real time, a selfie filmed by the user against the photos posted on their profile, to make sure a real person is actually behind each account. Other platforms are betting on AI to transform the matching experience rather than to authenticate it, as Bumble chose to do by dropping the classic swipe in favor of an AI-assisted system.
These responses remain uneven from one app to another, though, and none of them completely eliminates the risk for the end user. All the more so since some fake profiles aren't aimed solely at getting a credit card number: some simply exist to occupy paying members' attention and time, a practice already documented on other apps, as shown by recent digital news coverage of dating site scams.
Warning Signs to Watch For
- A profile that consistently refuses a spontaneous video call or always finds a technical excuse.
- Photos that are too perfect, with no identifiable background and no other picture of the same person found anywhere else on the web.
- A conversation that moves very quickly toward intimate or financial topics, with no in-person meeting ever planned.
- Instant replies at any hour, with no daily rhythm consistent with the profile shown.
- A string of arguments for leaving the app to continue the conversation on an outside messaging service.
In this shifting landscape, individual vigilance remains the best protection. Apps are gradually testing new verification tools, but they don't replace common sense: check a profile for consistency, favor a quick voice or video call for the first contact, and never send money to someone you haven't met, even if the story seems especially touching. That's also the message of the guide devoted to recent developments at the major dating apps, where trust is once again becoming a selling point in its own right.
Frequently Asked Questions
How can you recognize an AI-generated profile photo?
The classic tell-tale signs (malformed hands, blurry or inconsistent backgrounds) are tending to disappear with the latest tools. The most reliable signal remains the total absence of that photo anywhere else on the Internet and a refusal to do any spontaneous video call.
Are dating apps responsible for fake profiles?
They have a moderation responsibility, and several are strengthening their identity checks, but none can guarantee a zero rate of fake profiles: user vigilance is still necessary.
What should you do if you think you've been targeted by a fake profile?
Stop all contact, report the account through the app, and if money or banking information was requested, file a report with the relevant authorities.
Sources
Generation-NT —
Presse-citron —
Wagne.net
This article was written with the help of artificial intelligence. Editorial policy
