CHICAGO, March 06, 2025 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) -- While consumers rely on dating apps to find romantic partners, the vast majority would like to feel more confident that other users are representing themselves accurately. A new report from TransUnion (NYSE: TRU) found that 85% of women and 87% of men believe that dating platforms should verify user information such as age, recency of photos, and location.

Consumers cited inconsistencies with how people portray themselves on their profiles compared to how they appear in person. The most common complaint among men and women was that pictures were inaccurate or misleading. Women were twice as likely as men to say people lied about their age, while men were more likely to report being the victim of a bait and switch scheme.

For these reasons, more than three quarters of users are willing to undergo background checks—a finding consistent across gender, age and geographic segments. These findings and more are available in TransUnion’s latest report, The Paradox of Online Dating: Convenience vs. Connection.

“Consumers place a high value on trust when interacting online,” said Cecilia Seiden, VP of TransUnion’s Communities and Marketplaces business. “Dating platforms have an opportunity to provide that assurance to their users, while increasing user loyalty in the process.”

What personal information users want platforms to verify

About a quarter of respondents said they would be willing to pay for their own background check, while nearly 40% expressed a willingness to pay for background checks for both themselves and potential dates. Only a minority of users (18% of female and 15% of male respondents) said that background checks should be included in their membership fee. Implementing this kind of premium feature would increase users’ confidence in their matches and create an additional revenue stream for platforms.

Romance scams remain an issue
In addition to the more benign misrepresentations or exaggerations, the report found a prevalence of fraud in the online dating experience. Across all demographics, at least 70% of dating app users said they were somewhat or very concerned about scams, indicating enhanced demand for trust and safety.

More than a quarter (28%) of dating app users reported being victimized by catfishing. More than one in five (21%) had been victimized by romance scammers asking for money and phishing schemes to obtain more personal information.

“Dating makes people inherently vulnerable, more than any other online interaction or activity, because people want to form a genuine connection,” said Seiden. “Dating platforms have the ability to leverage robust identity data to verify that someone is who they say they are. Doing so would not only offer financial protection against scams but would make it easier for people to put themselves out there in good faith and make the connection they’re looking for.”

Dating platforms can increase confidence among users by incorporating identity verification tools, like TransUnion’s TruValidate™ line of solutions.

To read the full dating report, The Paradox of Online Dating: Convenience vs. Connection, click here.

About TransUnion (NYSE: TRU)
TransUnion is a global information and insights company with over 13,000 associates operating in more than 30 countries. We make trust possible by ensuring each person is reliably represented in the marketplace. We do this with a Tru™ picture of each person: an actionable view of consumers, stewarded with care. Through our acquisitions and technology investments we have developed innovative solutions that extend beyond our strong foundation in core credit into areas such as marketing, fraud, risk and advanced analytics. As a result, consumers and businesses can transact with confidence and achieve great things. We call this Information for Good^® — and it leads to economic opportunity, great experiences and personal empowerment for millions of people around the world. http://www.transunion.com/business