Valentine's Day 2020: Beware of the Dating Apps

Today is Valentine's Day, with the rush to find dates only getting quicker. Dating apps will see spike inactivity, but this can lead to users getting hacked.

Kaspersky Lab report shows how hackers copy dating apps and trick users to download malware on their devices. These hackers copy the dating services name and design. Among users, the most targeted dating apps are Tinder and Badoo. Kaspersky searched for dating apps, and the researchers showed 1,262 files under Tinder and 263 under Badoo.

Kaspersky said, "The danger these malicious files bring varies from file to file, ranging from Trojans that can download other malware to ones that send expensive SMS, to adware, making it likely every ping a user gets is some sort of annoying ad notification rather than a message from a potential date."

Users end up sharing their personal info for making dating profiles who download and install these disguised apps. With this, hackers get access to the user's personal data and sell it off. Dating apps are top-rated across the globe and on Valentine's Day, it is expected to go higher. Tinder said its platform witnesses the most number of activities during Valentine's week.

Here are a few things to keep in mind if you frequently use dating apps:

•  Check the app's permissions on your phone and see what it can get access to.
•  Don't install apps from untrusted sources.
•  If you see dating app research about it before using it.
•  On dating apps, keep your personal details to the least with strangers.