A 24-year old Brisbane woman has attacked her Tinder date with a knife after she reportedly answered a mobile call from the man’s de facto. He claims she went crazy and was forced to defend himself. It’s not the first violent end to a Tinder date and it’s unlikely to be the last, which has us questioning how safe Tinder really is. Should we really be using this app?
Tinder crimes
Slashed with a knife
A QLD mum is accused of stabbing a man she met through the dating app Tinder, @ErinEdwards7. http://t.co/ktsNegW9aApic.twitter.com/Kimr0mcqpx
— 7NEWS Brisbane (@7NewsBrisbane) February 28, 2015
Yesterday, 24-year-old Alana Jones appeared in a Brisbane court on charges of assault and possession of a dangerous drug following a first date with a 30-year-old she met through Tinder turned sour. Jones’ date was taken to hospital in a stable condition and she was given bail on the condition she doesn’t use Tinder or Facebook to meet people.
Falling from a Gold Coast apartment building
Twenty-eight-year-old Gable Tostee is behind bars after being charged with the murder of 26-year-old Warriena Wright in August last year when she fell from the 14th floor of a Gold Coast apartment building. The pair met through Tinder, but he claims he’s innocent.
Accused Tinder murderer Gable Tostee faces court on five charges represented by his THIRD lawyer since Warrien… http://t.co/3kqj7jmOAb
— TULK MAGAZINE (@tulkmag) January 12, 2015
Rape and abductions
In October last year, a 28-year-old New Zealander in Sydney on business was allegedly gang-raped after meeting up with a man at a Kings Cross restaurant.
In the U.S., a 30-year-old man from Georgia was assaulted and had his car stolen by someone he met via the popular app. In July in Louisiana, a man was arrested for raping a woman he had met through the dating app.
In Dublin, Ireland, a woman was abducted and raped in September after meeting up with a man she’d met via the app.
In New Zealand, media outlets are reporting that police are investigating several rape complaints from women who met guys through Tinder.
And these are just a fraction of the Tinder-related crimes that have been reported.
How popular is Tinder?
https://twitter.com/greensboro_nc/status/571878946297397248
The hottest dating app, Tinder claims to make 1 million new matches every day and, with over 10 million users worldwide, it seems to be the new, innovative way to hook up. For the happily matched who haven’t ventured into the world of Tinder, the app allows you to flick through profile pictures of registered users, which can be filtered to those in your immediate area. You swipe right if you’re interested, left if you’re not, and if your swipes match, then you can start chatting straightaway.
Is Tinder safe?
It's not a match: Here's the major obstacle Tinder still faces http://t.co/ptAYucsmbLpic.twitter.com/pobNFcqitg
— FORTUNE (@FortuneMagazine) February 26, 2015
Asking if Tinder is safe is like asking if swimming with sharks is safe? Yes, it’s safe as long as you take precautions, but even if you follow the advice of experts, there are no guarantees you won’t get eaten alive.
Keep in mind that there are other ways to meet the potential love of your life without the use of an electronic device.
How to stay safe on Tinder
Don’t use provocative profile pictures
Posing in your bikini or showing off your cleavage will attract the wrong sort of men.
If they look too hot to be true, they probably are
Beware of profiles with photos that are so hot they take your breath away. These are likely to be profiles set up by scammers. If you suspect a profile is a fake, take a screenshot and drop it into a Google Image search to see if there are duplicates online. You need to be realistic; if a bloke has washboard abs and is ridiculously good-looking, it’s unlikely he’s going to need Tinder to find a date.
Run a background check
Make sure they are who they say they are before agreeing to meet up by doing a background check. This should turn up any previous criminal records and records of marriage and divorces.
Meet in a public place and take a friend with you
If you’re meeting up with someone you’ve met online, take a friend with you and make sure you meet in a very public place or politely decline if they ask you to go somewhere private, like a park or their apartment. Even if you go with a friend, make sure another family member knows when to expect you home. It may seem a little over the top, but it’s better to be safe than sorry.
Don’t leave drinks unattended
Buy your own drink, and if you must excuse yourself to go to the bathroom, make sure you take your drink with you.
More on dating
10 Tips to get out of a dating rut
Finally, a sensible answer to the right age to get married
Couples turn into twins over time, so we’re officially creeped out
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