Fake Bumble Safety Verification Badge Scam
Scammers ask Bumble users to complete a fake 'Bumble safety check' through an external website, capturing personal data or enrolling victims in fraudulent paid subscriptions.
Part of: Verification Badge Scams
Last reviewed: 7 June 2026
Bumble's differentiating features — women making the first move, and a BFF and Bizz mode — are well known among dating app users. The platform has invested in a genuine photo-verification feature that awards verified users a badge, and Bumble has publicly emphasised user safety. Scammers exploit this safety-focused brand identity by sending fake verification requests that appear to be an official Bumble safety initiative.
The scam typically begins with a match who, after some conversation, expresses concern about meeting unverified strangers and asks the victim to complete a 'Bumble Background Check' or 'Bumble Safety Verification' through a specific link. The request is framed as a safety precaution that the match requires before meeting in person.
Bumble's genuine verification and background-check features are offered within the Bumble app itself. Bumble does not partner with external verification services requiring payment information from users as part of a pre-date safety check.
How this scam works on the Bumble brand
The external site typically displays Bumble's yellow branding and uses language about creating a safe dating environment. It collects the user's name, date of birth, email, and location. It then presents a 'one-time age verification' step requiring a credit card, claiming the card will not be charged.
In practice, the card is enrolled in a recurring subscription to an adult content site or a fraudulent service that is difficult to cancel. The initial charge may appear days after the victim's details were entered, making the connection to the Bumble verification site less obvious.
Some variants collect only personal information — name, DOB, address — without a card requirement, but use that data for identity fraud or sell it to data brokers.
Common red flags
- A match asks you to complete a safety verification through an external link rather than within the Bumble app
- The verification site asks for a credit card for an 'age verification' described as free
- The link leads to a domain other than bumble.com
- The external site uses Bumble branding but was not accessed from within the Bumble app
- A pre-checked subscription box on the verification page
- The match profile has very few mutual connections, unusually polished photos, and quickly pivots the conversation toward the verification request
How to protect yourself
- Verify your identity within the Bumble app using its built-in Photo Verification feature — do not visit external links for this purpose
- If a match insists on an external verification you cannot find in the official Bumble app, treat it as a scam and unmatch
- Check your credit card statements if you entered card details on a site reached via a Bumble conversation
- Report the profile using Bumble's in-app reporting tool
- If you subscribed to an unwanted service, contact your card issuer to dispute the charges and cancel the service
How to report it
- Report the profile in the Bumble app: tap the three-dot menu on the profile and select 'Block & Report'
- Report the fraudulent site to Bumble at support.bumble.com
- File a complaint with the FTC at reportfraud.ftc.gov
- Report the site to Google Safe Browsing at safebrowsing.google.com/safebrowsing/report_phish
Frequently asked questions
Does Bumble require users to complete a safety verification via an external website?
No. Bumble's Photo Verification and background check features — where available — are provided within the Bumble app. Any external site asking you to verify your identity for Bumble is not affiliated with Bumble and is likely fraudulent.
The verification site said the card would not be charged but I see a charge. What do I do?
Contact your card issuer immediately to dispute the charge. Explain that you were deceived into entering card details on a fraudulent site. Ask for a new card to prevent future charges. Report the site to the FTC.