Grindr users report increase in ‘spam bots’ posing as real guys

Grindr users are reporting an increase in spam bots targeting their profiles, disguising themselves as potential partners in an attempt to infect their phones with viruses and spam.

PinkNews reports several of their UK readers have started conversations with dating app users who have turned out to be bots – software applications which link back to the internet and install malicious viruses and spam by luring their unsuspecting victims.

One of the most common tricks used by bots to install viruses is by sending over URLs fake webcam sites.

Bots can, however, also be fairly easy to spot.

Conversations are often unconvincingly rigid or disengaged, as seen with users who have tested sophistication of the software by saying their “penis had fallen off”, or “their mother had just died”, only to be met with a stock-standard response.

Another way to spot a bot is via their stats, which often lists their height as less than three feet.

https://twitter.com/XSPOSURETHERAPY/status/626803213212217344

Hunk vs los bots del Grindr pic.twitter.com/RrLsNHQ0K0

— Hunky (@Hunklopedia) July 20, 2015

One user who rarely uses Grindr was contacted by a bot each time he had logged on in recent months.

“It’s not a natural conversation flow – so it seems suspicious but equally it’s convincing enough to be real,” he said.

Another user received the same set of messages more than once, only realising he was not speaking to a real person when responses didn’t line up to what he was saying.

A Twitter user unmasked a bot by sending the same message over and over, which received the same responses every time.

A Grindr spokesperson said they were “definitely aware of spambot activity” and that security improvements were a priority.

“We devote significant engineering resources and expertise to addressing the spambot issue.  We use automated tools to detect spambots, and our team of moderators diligently track and ban these kinds of spam profiles,” they said.

 

https://twitter.com/SethArrons/status/625588740669374464