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🕵️‍♀️ When Trust Turns Digital: The New Face of Online Deception

The line between privacy and deception has never been thinner.

Many people choose not to show their real photo or name on dating platforms — understandable, especially when colleagues or clients might be there too. But behind that legitimate caution hides a new risk: identity-based scams and malware traps.

From conversation to compromise

Scammers now use simple tactics: moving the chat from the dating app to WhatsApp or Telegram, sending a “photo” that looks harmless — but hides malware. Once it downloads automatically, your device may be exposed to data theft or remote control.

This is why turning off automatic media download is more than a tech tip; it’s a matter of digital self-protection.

A wider issue: platforms and accountability

The real question is not only how individuals can protect themselves, but why platforms still allow full anonymity without responsibility.

If a digital space functions like a house, then its owner has a duty of care: to know who comes in, to keep the doors safe, and to act when harm occurs.

This principle lies at the heart of a new initiative I am developing — the International Recommendation on Digital Integrity and Platform Responsibility — calling for verified registration, cross-border cooperation, and user protection across Europe and beyond.

Practical takeaway

Until policy catches up, awareness is your best defence.

Never open files from unknown contacts.

Keep your device and apps updated.

Disable automatic downloads (see my LinkedIn post for exact steps).

Report suspicious profiles and conversations.

> Privacy is your right —

but responsibility, yours and theirs, is what keeps the digital world human.

Joan D. Mulder

www.jasduurzaamadvies.nl