5 AdultFriendFinder scams to avoid

It is very easy to fall in love and online dating. It makes it easy to meet a partner with just the swipe of a finger, and opens many sex lives to new possibilities. But let’s look at the negative side, too. It also introduces new ways for bad actors to target and harm us. As an adult dating site on the web, AdultFriendFinder is unfortunately full of various scams and scammers, and while it’s easy to have a good time on the site, it’s also easy to get into trouble if you’re not very careful with your AFF activity.

Because AFF contains nudity and encourages its members to be shy – hey, that’s the whole point of the site – it’s a very attractive target for malicious users. Worryingly, these attacks are on the rise, so-called “romance scams” now outnumber all other types of scams in terms of total reported financial losses, according to statistics reported by the Federal Trade Commission.

The first step to staying safe is to first recognize your weaknesses. Here are five of the most common AdultFriendFinder scams and how to avoid them.

Phishing scams

If you’ve used the Internet before, you’ve been a target of phishing. That’s just the truth. Think of those emails from Google asking you to click a link to reset your password, or the sad news you get from an unknown email address claiming to be a relative — those just need a few bucks to fix. These are all examples of phishing attacks, where a malicious actor impersonates someone to gain your trust and steal your sensitive information — or launder your bank account.

On AdultFriendFinder, bad actors will pretend to be interested singles, flirt with you until they decide to ask for money or personal information, or try to get you to visit an off-site link.

Here are five big red flags that can help you spot a phishing attack:

• Someone is rushing to take you to another destination, be it a website or a different chat platform like WhatsApp or Telegram.

• They try to create a sense of urgency or urgency, often with a sad personal story.

• They randomly ask for specific personal information about you, whether that’s your date of birth or your home address.

• Their profile and/or behavior is “too good to be true,” with professional-quality photos and a fast-paced chat style to win you over.

• They avoid or refuse requests to meet in person or confirm each other’s identity via video call, so you never see them.

Identity theft

Unfortunately, between AI productivity and how easily people can access our personal data, identity theft is now easier than ever.

On AdultFriendFinder, identity theft scams can work in two ways: Either bad actors work patiently to steal your identity, slowly build a usable profile of you based on your personal information – name, age, location and work history, etc. – and photos and videos they like from your profile, or they steal someone else’s identity to show off someone else’s intelligence.

Your first and best defense against identity theft scams is to limit the amount of personal information you share on your public profile. It is a good idea to provide the minimum necessary identifying information about yourself; so, for example, you can share your last name but you shouldn’t share your last name or even your initials, and you can say you’re a lawyer or a doctor but you shouldn’t share the name of the law firm or hospital that employs you. They can narrow down the details intelligently.

Follow these rules closely even in one-on-one conversations. And never assume who the person you’re talking to is until you’ve verified it yourself, and carefully measure what information you give about yourself.

Bots and self-promoters

Bots and boosters are the most common AdultFriendFinder scams and the least dangerous. Because it’s easy to create profiles on the site, webcam models, some OnlyFans creators and other body marketers use the site to promote their pages, often through chat bots. These scams are not particularly complicated: A person uses their real photos in their profile but uses AI to talk to other users, usually sending them to an external link like Instagram, OnlyFans or a Telegram channel related to their business, and although they are harmless, they are also a huge waste of your time. If you’re tempted to check out their links, remember to exercise caution before clicking on a link, as it’s easy to hide malicious links inside shortened URLs.

These self-promotional accounts are also often easy to spot. Their photos are often very airbrushed and shot and staged, and their conversation rarely goes beyond “hello” before they start plugging their side hustle. It’s best to just ignore these profiles entirely, but if you do take the plunge to talk to one, end the relationship if they start sharing off-site links with you.

Pay to play scams

There are plenty of legitimate online businesses that would be happy to exchange your money for kinky chats, webcam shows, or custom photos and videos, but beware of anyone offering those services on AdultFriendFinder.

Even if you are willing to buy sexual content or give advice to a webcam model, AFF was not designed to be a platform for sex work, and all the consumer protections found on sites like OnlyFans or Chaturbate are not present at AdultFriendFinder, which means that if a model or sex worker wants to take your money and run, you will have no chance to defend yourself.

Blackmail called “sextortion”

The worst, most dangerous and potentially damaging scams on AdultFriendFinder have to do with blackmail, or what is known as “sexual exploitation.” This is possible because the site promotes nudity and other types of sexually graphic content. This also leaves users vulnerable to hacking attempts. For example, are you using a site without your spouse’s knowledge or consent? And how would your employer or clients react if your private photos and videos were leaked?

Bad actors know very well how this kind of thing can damage your reputation, your marriage or your professional life, and they will want to use whatever power they can to use this to bring you to justice.

Does this mean you can’t use AdultFriendFinder or that you shouldn’t participate in some of the more dangerous activities it has to offer? Of course not! But we encourage you to use it responsibly and always be aware of what you share and who you share it with. And don’t forget: If you do If you encounter any type of sextortion, you should know that it is a crime and should be reported to law enforcement.