For many thirty-somethings in 2016, having a Tinder account isn’t particularly unusual.
The dating app for smartphones forms a profile by connecting to the users’ Facebook account. While Montrealer Sydney Krause does indeed have an account on the popular social network, she found herself surprised to find out she was active on the dating program as well.
“I got a call from my boyfriend and he asked me if I had a Tinder account and I said ‘No,’” she said. “He said ‘I didn’t think so, but you do.’”
Krause had found herself the victim of a bizarre form of identity theft, with a hacker breaking into her Facebook account to sign her up for Tinder not just once, but twice.
“I felt kind of creeped out, freaked out and, like, wondering why someone would want to do that and what’s in it for them,” she said. “It’s just frustrating that there’s no way to just cut it off just like that. Like, make a complaint and then it gets erased. That’s not how it works.”
Knause said she contacted Facebook multiple times and got no response, but when CTV contacted the social media company, they asked for her details in order to look into the situation. Knause has since deleted the Tinder account but fears being targeted a third time.
Experts say what Knause experienced isn’t uncommon and the motive can often be fraud.
“A lot of the time, these guys want to steal your photos and re-add all of your friends,” said cyber-security expert Terry Cutler. “This way, they can try and scam them and say, ‘Hey, you know I’m stuck in London, I’ve been mugged, can you send me $500?’”
Cutler advises Facebook users to have a difficult password to guess and have strict password settings on all devices.
