The ‘Tinder Swindler’ App Story: What Trust Looks Like in Dating

What the reporting establishes

Simon Leviev plans a dating app called Safe Love, according to Global News.

Earlier reporting by the International Consortium of Investigative Journalists, published September 18, describes the same proposal. Leviev, the subject of Netflix’s 2022 documentary The Tinder Swindler, has presented his experience with deception as a qualification for helping people avoid fraud. ICIJ also reports that the Online Dating and Discovery Association wrote to Apple and Google urging them to block his planned app. Its chief executive, Simon Newman, directly expressed the association’s opposition to ICIJ. Read ICIJ’s reporting.

These reports establish an announcement and an industry objection. They do not establish that the proposed service delivers effective protection. For anyone considering a new dating platform, that distinction matters: a safety claim deserves questions about how it works.

Ask what a platform actually checks

Before joining any unfamiliar dating service, look for clear explanations of who operates it, how users report problems, how blocking works and what happens after a complaint. Check what personal information it requests and why. If those answers are difficult to find, you can postpone signing up.

Apply the same curiosity to verification. Read the platform’s explanation of exactly what a badge means. Avoid extending that meaning into assumptions about someone’s intentions, relationship status or compatibility with you.

A useful question is: “What does this feature establish, and what do I still need to learn?” Keep that question in mind when reading profiles, too. A polished biography gives you conversation material; you still need opportunities to see whether the person’s everyday behavior matches it. You do not owe a new service—or a new match—immediate confidence.

Make ordinary boundaries part of getting acquainted

You can learn about compatibility through straightforward conversations: What kind of relationship are you looking for? How often do you like to communicate? What pace feels comfortable? Share your answers honestly, then notice whether there is room for both people’s preferences.

For example, you might say, “I enjoy talking with you, but I’m usually offline during work.” Their response gives you something concrete to consider. Can you discuss a difference without guilt or pressure? Do plans become clear enough that you can make decisions comfortably? These are useful observations, although none proves someone is safe.

Money requests call for a firmer response. The Federal Trade Commission advises against sending money or gifts to a romantic interest you have never met in person. Its guidance describes scammers building trust before inventing urgent expenses. If you suspect a scam, stop contact, speak with someone you trust and report the account. If you have already paid, contact your bank or payment provider promptly and ask whether the payment can be recovered. Read the FTC’s guidance.

Meeting someone does not create an obligation to fund them, either. You can decline financial involvement without proving that their story is false.

Write a profile that opens useful conversations

Use your own profile to make your intentions easier to understand. Replace broad praise of yourself with a few accurate details: an activity you enjoy, the relationship you want and a communication preference that matters to you.

For example, if true: “I’m looking for a long-term relationship. My ideal Sunday includes a walk and cooking with friends. I appreciate clear plans and getting to know someone gradually.” That gives another person several specific things to respond to.

You can be clear without publishing your workplace, daily route or private history. Share enough to invite conversation, then decide what else to disclose as you become comfortable. A profile cannot screen out every dishonest person or guarantee compatibility. It can help you begin with an accurate account of yourself.