So far, ten profiles have been posted to Twitter and four to TikTok, with one post gaining at least 140,000 views according to Insider.This app gives you a chance to try something new and give a new social scene a chance. When they find an athlete, they take screenshots and video, zooming in on their photos and posting them without the athletes’ consent or knowledge.
The social media users are logging on to the Grindr app and using its “explore” feature to find profiles of athletes in the Olympic Village. According to a report from Insider, there are other risks as well because the Olympics are taking place in Tokyo, and Amnesty International has said it’s a culture that “systemically discriminates against gay people.” Some of the athletes who have been highlighted have not come out as gay, while at least one comes from a country where same-sex sexual relations are illegal, putting them in danger. TikTok and Twitter users are posting profiles of closeted Olympic athletes who are discreetly using Grindr while they compete in Tokyo for the 2021 Olympics, raising alarm among LGBTQ+ communities. The attackers threaten to send the photo to the victim’s personal networks, including family and friends or even an employer unless they pay (usually via gift card).īumble Partners with Hello Sunshine to Produce Short Films The next part plays out like an episode of Black Mirror, where if the victim does send an explicit photo in hopes of connecting in person, the attacker quickly turns on them and uses blackmail to extort money. These scammers send explicit photos quickly, seeing who responds with a similar photo in return. According to Consumer Reports, the attackers pose as interested romantic partners and chat with intended victims. The FTC in mid-September issued a statement urging people using LGBTQ+ dating apps to be cautious amid the growing number of scammers who operate on these apps.Īpps like Grindr and Feeld were named in particular as the FTC warned of an increasing number of scammers who seek explicit photos and then use them to extort money. Soon after, they are asked to make a more substantial contribution, and if they do, the scammers not only refuse their withdrawal requests, but blackmail them to invest more and take the money they already paid if they refuse.įTC Warns LGBTQ+ Dating App Users About Growing Threat of Scammers At first, the victim makes money and is allowed to withdraw from their account, providing a false sense of security.
After a time, the subject of cryptocurrency is introduced into the conversation, and the scammer asks the victim to install the fake crypto trading app to make an investment.
The CryptoRom attackers set up fake profiles on dating apps and strike up conversations with users, later moving them to messaging apps. Dubbed “CryptoRom” by cybersecurity research firm Sophos, the attackers feigned romantic interest with victims to build trust, and then lured them into downloading fake cryptocurrency apps.Īccording to reports, these scammers used Apple’s Enterprise Development platform to push the fake cryptocurrency apps, which gave the victims a sense that they were legitimate, but in reality, this allowed scammers to bypass the normal app review process. Scammers stole more than $1.4 million from users of popular dating apps like Tinder, Grindr and Bumble, among others.