A true crime documentary following a man who scammed several women for thousands of dollars went viral via social media after it exposed the modern danger of online dating.

Netflix’s “The Tinder Swindler” follows the story of Simon Leviev as he posed as a billionaire and conned women into lending him money to help him escape his fictional enemies. Leviev kept up the charade by spoiling the women with gifts and private jets using money from other women he had scammed.

Although college students may not have money to give like the women in the documentary, they can still face dangers when using dating apps. Knowing the pros and cons of these apps can help students stay safe.

Julius Payne, the program coordinator for the Center for Sexual and Relationship Violence Support Services, said there are cons to dating apps such as Tinder, Bumble and Hinge.

“How much do you really know someone over the internet?” Payne said.

None of the women Leviev connected with knew precisely what he was planning to do or how dangerous he was, leading to them being financially drained and threatened.

Dating apps can also make it difficult to know what others are seeking.

“When you get people on dating sites, some people are there for long-term relationships, others are there for more superficial things like one-night stands and that,” he said. “And you really have to be leery about those things sometimes.”

Payne advised dating app users to look out for red flags.

“If somebody is trying to borrow money or trying to get gifts or stuff like that, that’s one of the things that can be a red flag.”

Payne said it is important not to share too much information with linked photos or information from social media on a dating app profile.

With too much information present on a profile, people can become victims of stalking, harassment and financial abuse like the women Leviev conned.

On the other hand, Payne said there are pros to dating apps.

“One of the big ones is the amount of people that you can meet,” Payne said. “You are obviously going to be paired up and matched with people that are like-minded as you.”

Payne also said dating apps can help more reserved people meet new people.

“If someone is shy or not really comfortable with meeting people face to face initially or starting those conversations, it’s easier to do that as well,” Payne said.

For students who may have found themselves in a dangerous situation because of a dating app, Payne said to immediately report the activity on the dating app and take further precautions, like calling the police, if needed. SRVSS also provides a wide variety of resources for all students.

“Be careful,” Payne said. “Treat it like it’s a face-to-face interaction or relationship to stay safe.”

Zoe Finley is a reporter. Contact her at [email protected].