With all the dating apps available online, there are many potential risks associated with scammers who steal other women’s photos. These female scammers may not be women, as they could be guys from other continents. So, they pretend to be that pretty girl, and even more, they use her exact details like name, address, number, etc.
Now, is there any publicly available database of female scammers’ pictures to help you identify them on dating sites? And what should I do to spot a fake profile on the app?
In this guide, I’ll show you the best ways to check if the female on a dating site is real or a scammer. Also, you’ll find other tips to avoid scams on dating sites and how to search for possible female photos used for romance scams.
How do you tell if a photo is being used by a scammer?
Searching for a picture of a female scammer may not be as complicated as you expect. Some of the search methods, such as the following options, work well in the US. While others may be regional or for specific dating industries and countries. So, the more you diversify your search methods, the higher the chances are that you’ll know the real name of the fake dating site user.
Reverse photo search
Social Catfish is the first recommended method to search for online profiles linked to that profile photo. The easiest way to check if a particular photo is being used by scammers on dating sites is through a reverse image search.
These advanced search tools perform fast searches based on a specific photo file you upload. Then, there could be a report about that picture with information, such as the social media accounts associated with it. From there, you may spot fake dating profiles easily as you find different names and locations. That way, the service helps you verify the photo first, and second, you protect yourself from that fake dating account.
This is not as complicated as it looks. In fact, scammers on dating sites like Tinder, POF, and even other apps steal only pretty girls’ pictures. So, when you look at their photos, they seem too good to be true in most cases. Therefore, these photos are not of real dating site users but of celebrities in general from Western European countries or from North America.
In general, scammers create fake accounts on dating sites using female photos from another continent to avoid being found quickly. So, if that dating site, for example, is located in the United States, then, the fake profile is probably using photos from ladies in Western European countries.
That’s why there are so many dating scams in Ukraine, Russia, and other countries. The same thing applies to the other side of the matter. Sammers from the US and Canada use photos of women from there to catfish guys from Europe, Asia, and other parts of the world.
It’s a loop that never ends. So many guys pretend to be girls on dating sites, using fake photos of ladies. However, the opposite thing is valid, as women could be using photos of guys as well.
Here is an example of a dating account that I found on Tagged using a girl’s Photo. There are also 44 other profiles on different dating websites with usernames listed.
In the next example, there are different usernames found by the photo search. So, you see the female’s hidden profiles on MeetMe and Facebook.
Google Images
If someone has been scammed by someone on a dating site, there could be a picture of that person with details about that case. So, use Google Images, then upload the female photo you have on the dating app. Next, let Google search for linked profiles and data. If you successfully found any public records about that photo, you should read the details.
You may come across a scam report with that exact photo and the name of the woman. Her dating profile could also be used on other similar apps you don’t know about. So, with a reverse image search on Google, it’s possible to find public information about the person behind it. But again, that depends on the version of Google, as you may not find scammer photos in the UK, just like in Australia or New Zealand.
To use Google Images, open the site on your laptop. Then, click on the small camera icon, as in the next example.
Now, you’ll see a pop window where you can use the tool in two ways:
- Upload the user photo you saved on your computer or phone
- Use the picture’s URL if it’s on the dating site
Here is how to upload the file to Google.
Keep in mind that you can use Google Images on your phone or on your laptop. But the smartphone app is better as it has the Lens feature, which automatically searches for that person’s photo online. Then, it may show you where that file appears on the site or on social media.
In case you can’t find any profile or details with Google Images, try other search tools. Google may not be able to crawl private dating profiles or those blocked by their systems.
I tested Google once for someone’s photo on Badoo, which is a dating app. So, I uploaded the female’s picture, and the search engines listed all of her profiles on Badoo and Tinder. The main point here is: don’t set expectations for what you can find on Google.
It’s all about the photos you search through. It should be used by other users on multiple dating sites. In many cases, I found the photos of women used on dating sites, including Plenty Of Fish and Match.com, are linked to a completely different person on Facebook.
Bing image search
I tried Bing’s image search, and it worked in some cases where the file was in high definition. So, I suggest uploading only the user’s photo you want to reverse lookup if it’s clearly visible and in high resolution. Otherwise, Bing may show you the results, as that female picture is not identifiable.
Bing may help you search for images of the catfisher online. The search engine can access public records and let you see the fake pictures related to the one you uploaded. Thus, it’s another way to see if someone else has modified that person’s photo and used it on other hookup sites.
As you can see from the above screenshot, Bing has three ways to search by photo:
- You upload a female photo from your laptop
- Use its URL
- You can also take a photo if you have it on paper, for example, or on another device
Bing may search for the photos you upload on Facebook, Instagram, and other social media sites. So, don’t neglect the fact that Facebook is also a dating site, and it’s not only a social network. The woman you saw on the dating platform might have the same picture under her Facebook dating account.
Databases of female scammers by photo
There are some databases on the Internet that list photos of female scammers as well as guys. So, these databases collect that data and the names of the fake profiles from their own investigations and based on real scam reports.
Some of these sites are:
Ukrainian Passport has a black list page with over a hundred pages of well-known female scammers from Russia and Ukraine. These fake profiles are clearly visible. So, you can see that they see fake passports or identities for confirmation, and even other phone numbers and emails.
Meanwhile, these females may use real contact numbers and their real photos, but they’re scammers anyway. Luckily, the database lists these girls with names, pictures, addresses, and locations. Even more, the site lists the common messages these women send to guys for scams. They pretend to be in need of any help you can imagine, just because of money.
These are some examples of well-known female scammer pictures on dating and hookup sites.
There is also another site called Stop Scammers. It’s a website that lists a directory of female scammers worldwide with their pictures. I found over 500 pages with long lists of girls’ photos, names, and descriptions of their scam cases. Users have also added reports about that fraud with information including the email address that the scammer used, and more.
Here is a screenshot of their female scammer gallery that you can browse.
Below each dating profile photo, you can find the name of the girl behind it, along with her age. That’s based on what that database has as information. So, if the girl you saw on the dating app is a popular dating scammer, you may find her photo on the first pages of the gallery.
How do I report a female scammer on a dating site?
If you’ve searched for someone’s photos and found them to be used on a dating site for scams, you can report them immediately. The site itself should offer the option to report fake users. The Federal Trade Commission in the US also has a dedicated web page to report fraud linked to romance scams. So, you need to tell others about that scammer by collecting information about them, such as the message they send, their email, phone number, or pictures.
In 2022 alone, more than 70.000 people in the United States reported scams linked to dating sites, and there was a loss in money because of that. So, this is not an online threat we can neglect. It’s a serious issue that needs everyone’s collaboration. When you report users and fraud linked to a romance scam, you list the photo of that female and her details.
That way, other people will be aware of that fake profile. However, the issue here is that most people won’t even think about verifying the photos of those women on dating websites. So, they just exchange emails and then make phone calls. After that, they notice that the person they chatted with is another scammer.
This is an example I created to report someone who is a scammer on a dating site to the FTC. Just follow the same categories (love interest).
The Better Business Bureau did a study about the romance scam and the problems linked to it. So, you need to understand that there are so many types of information you should never share with someone on dating websites. That suspicious user could be a scammer who is hiding their name behind other real women’s photos. So, never share your email or personal information, like contact numbers, with her.
If you’re still unsure whether that person is legitimate or a scammer, run a background search on them. Many tools, like the first one above, have those options. Even more, they have a dedicated search investigation service with one of their experienced detectives. So, they can assist you in determining if the female user on the site is a catfisher or not.
You can stay safe when using a dating site by searching for female photos online. You can see where these pictures appear and draw a conclusion. She might have the same picture under her other scam profiles on Tinder or similar apps. Also, there could be associated scams on Craigslist with that same girl’s photo.
Conclusion
With these search tools and resources, you can look up female pictures on dating sites, and see who they are. Thus, uncovering the name behind that photo may give you a hint as to whether or not they’re scammers or genuine site users.
Also, it’s recommended to verify the details under that person’s dating profile description. Who knows if they’re copying other people’s profiles from other sites and social media? That way, you can protect yourself while using dating sites. Also, you can share photos of any female scammer you discover on any dating platform. So, people can be aware of that person on social media or through dedicated websites like the FTC.
