Now You Can Use SingPass To Root Out Dating App Scammers – Plus Easy Ways to Spot a Fake

If you've ever used a dating app, you'll know that if a profile is too good to be true, it's probably fake. Sussing out scammers, cheats, and fake profiles typically requires a bit of tedium: using reverse Google Image search, looking up their socials to double confirm that they actually exist, and canvassing your conversations for signs that they're a bot, that they want money, or that they're secretly married. (Between January and June 2024, $12.5m was lost to victims of internet love scams in Singapore, so it's definitely a problem!)

Now, dating app Coffee Meets Bagel (CMB) is easing the burden of background checks for its users in Singapore by rolling out a new feature that verifies profiles through SingPass, our national digital identity. This world-first initiative for CMB uses official government records, such as NRIC or Foreign Identification numbers, date of birth, and marital status to help keep scammers out, while assuring users that their matches are who they say they are. Starting July 15, verified users can even filter out unverified profiles altogether.

But also, if you're anything like me, you're probably looking for love on more than one app - and not all of them include identity verification measures. Here are some signs that the person you swiped right on is a little sus:

They're "always travelling"

Consider it a red flag if they always get called for a last-minute trip right before you're supposed to meet. They're somehow always out of town, "working overseas," or just about to board a flight. How convenient for avoiding in-person meetups! Bonus: they'll probably hit you up for urgent funds transfer after their wallet got "stolen" abroad.

They don't have any social media presence

In 2025, really? Either they're totally MIA online or their Instagram is suspiciously inactive, with three posts and no tags. You'd think that they'd at least have an account on LinkedIn if they're gainfully employed. On the flip side, if their pics are all taken solo, filtered, or from oddly vague angles, and their captions are also way more eloquent than their text messages, then there's a good chance that they might be hiding something (or someone).

They fall in love at the speed of light

If they have called you their soulmate, invited you on a romantic getaway, and have sent flowers to your office within the first few conversations, hit pause. This is called love bombing, and it's a classic move from a scammer's playbook. By laying it on thick, they build trust quickly and blur your judgment.

They have a super intense backstory

Think classified foreign deployments, oil rigs, or secret high-level jobs. It's straight out of a scammer script. These backstories are built to explain why they can't meet, can't video call, and why their life is conveniently complicated.

They're a magnet for drama

There's always some crisis: a sudden hospital stay, a hacked bank account, a sick grandmother in another country. It's like their life is a constant soap opera, and spoiler alert, you're being cast as the emotional (and financial) support system.

You've met exactly zero people in their life

No friends, no family, no mutuals. They don't introduce you to anyone even though you've been dating for almost a year. Don't believe them when they say they need time to let people in or that they're just an introvert with very few friends. It's a cover-up.

Their place is off limits and they only call you at weird hours.

So you've met them IRL. Hooray, they exist! But that doesn't mean they're who they say they are, or that they're actually single. They're always down to come to your place or hang at a hotel, but there's always an excuse why you can't see their flat. "It's being renovated!" "My parents stay with me and they're really strict!". Or...it's a spouse and two kids! Be extra vigilant if they're totally chatty at 2am, but vanish every evening and weekend. Could be because their spouse is sitting right next to them on the couch.

Sure, dating can feel like navigating a minefield, but tools like identity verification via SingPass will hopefully help us reclaim some peace of mind in a space that’s supposed to be fun, exciting, and maybe even romantic.

Of course, even the best tech can’t replace good ol’ gut instinct and common sense. So whether you’re swiping on a verified match or chatting with someone on another app, stay sharp, trust your gut, and remember: love might be blind, but you don’t have to be. 

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