50% of people do not trust the details on dating profiles are true[1]
Yoti and DateID are working together to create a safer community of online daters
London, UK, September 2019 – Yoti, the digital identity app with 5 million downloads, has partnered with DateID, a new US based dating verification platform – to help create a safer and more transparent community of online daters. DateID gives individuals a quick and simple way to verify that the people they meet on dating sites are representing themselves accurately, bringing more trust and transparency online. DateID users can use Yoti to verify their identity, giving other daters reassurance and peace of mind they are genuine.
While online dating has grown over recent years, many people have fallen victim to dating fraud and romance scams which cost time, money and emotional distress. Daters are required to trust the people they meet online are who they claim to be, yet setting up fake profiles on the internet and pretending to be someone else is easy and unregulated. This results in risks of identity theft, financial fraud and catfishing – not to mention disappointing first dates.
50% of people do not trust the details on dating profiles are true[2], and the number of people affected by online dating scams has reached a record high, with Action Fraud receiving over 350 reports a month in the UK[3]. In the US, over 1,300 cases are reported monthly to the FBI[4]. The true figures are likely to be higher as many people are too afraid or embarrassed to come forward to report the crime. Yoti is working with daters and dating sites to tackle these issues and make online encounters safer.
DateID offers individuals a number of ways to verify that they’re representing themselves accurately on dating sites, including linking their social media profiles and verifying their identity with Yoti; which gives them Gold status, the highest level of verification. Users who’ve completed all DateID verifications will give other daters confidence that the person they’re meeting is real and genuine, and the details on their dating profile are true. This creates a safer community of daters, and reduces the risks of identity fraud and catfishing – and bad dates. Together, DateID and Yoti bring security, transparency and accountability to dating.
Remy Tennant, Founder and CEO DateID, explained “Online dating is a minefield. Users have no real incentive to be truthful in their profiles, and the result is a lot of bad first dates–not to mention serious dangers like being catfished. In our survey of more than 450 online daters, we found that 95% of users Googled each other before agreeing to meet. The problem is, even the best online sleuthing can’t catch everything. DateID gives online daters a fast, easy and effective way to screen each other before agreeing to meet. We’re delighted that Yoti enables us to provide our users with the industry standard in ID verification.”
Stehanie Hudson, DateID and Yoti user, said “With so many people misrepresenting themselves on dating apps, you never know what you’re going to get. I always screen my dates, and DateID gives me way more helpful information than I can find on my own, while saving me a ton of time. I appreciate it when other users connect Yoti to DateID because it gives me 100% confidence that people are who they say they are.”
Stephanie Hudson is a 35 year old User Experience Designer in San Francisco, CA. See her at https://www.dateid.me/steph or https://www.linkedin.com/in/stephaniehudsonsf/.
Robin Tombs, CEO Yoti explained, “It’s too easy to be tricked by somebody hiding behind a fake profile. Yoti offers a free, simple and secure way to know exactly who you’re meeting online – helping to prevent false profiles and make digital interactions safer. We’re delighted to be working with DateID to give daters greater peace of mind, trust and transparency about who they’re talking to. Verified digital identities are a surefire way to help combat catfishing and fake profiles, making it harder for fraudsters and safer for honest people looking for love.”
The free Yoti app is available for Android and Apple phone, and transforms ID documents and biometrics into a digital identity. Yoti uses 256-bit encryption to secure user details and puts individuals in control of their data. With Yoti, the user has to give consent before their details are shared. They also know exactly what details they are sharing and who they are sharing them with.
[1] YouGov, 2016, Trust and Identity in Peer to Peer Transactions Report
[2] YouGov, 2016, Trust and Identity in Peer to Peer Transactions Report
[3] BBC, 2017 – https://www.bbc.co.uk/news/uk-38678089
[4] Forbes, 2017 – https://www.forbes.com/sites/dianahembree/2017/06/20/romance-scam-crimes-on-the-rise/#46a05a0d5ec1
