Fake Varun Dhawans and Hugh Jackmans on dating apps! Love hopefuls beware

Recently, a UK-based woman, Anna Rowe, was duped by a British man Antony Ray, who used Bollywood actor Saif Ali Khan’s picture on Tinder to lure her into a relationship. This went on for 14 months before he was exposed to be an imposter. Saif is not the only actor whose picture has been used on dating apps for such fake profiles. Bollywood actors including Varun Dhawan, John Abraham and Hollywood stars such as Hugh Jackman and Johnny Depp have also fallen prey to such unethical acts of users. So don’t be surprised if you came across one while swiping right or left.

“I have come across many profiles on Facebook, that have my picture on it but a completely different identity,” says actor Arjun Bijlani. “Some people have informed me about this as well. It is really sad that people resort to such means of cheating on social media and dating apps. I suggest that everyone be very careful while interacting with a stranger on the web.” Actor Rashami Desai says that the moment somebody informs her about a profile with her picture, she tells them to report the profile or block it. “This is a hazard that comes with being popular. Our pictures are all over the net and people use it as a disguise,” she adds.

Not just actors, some users recall discovering such fakes. “I have come across some profiles, which have people from Spain and the US in the profile picture. But when we get into a conversation, after a point, they start talking in Hindi and apologise for putting up a fake picture,” says, 22-year-old physiotherapist, Esha.

Another user, Surbhi, a Delhi-based banker says, “I’ve often seen names and pictures of Bollywood actors on dating apps, but I know that they are mostly fake because it’s quite unlikely that such big actors will have a profile on Tinder. I swipe left (reject) because there is no point in wasting their time and mine.”

When contacted, a spokesperson of Tinder responded by saying that they take all possible measures to ensure safety of the users. “We continue to advise our users to be vigilant, pay close attention to basic safety tips, always exercise discretion in their interactions while using the app. Users who violate our terms of service – in their online or offline behaviour – are banned from Tinder,” said the spokesperson, adding, “Users can easily report a profile or any suspicious activity, behaviour or unauthentic information and moderate all flagged requests in real time. Reporting a user for spam or inappropriate conduct is straightforward and easy to do. On any given profile, users can tap the ‘3 dots’ icon and select ‘Report’. From here, Tinder evaluates, takes the necessary action, and removes the inappropriate profile.”