Fake Dating Profiles Now Outrank Ghosting as Daters’ Top Frustration
Fake or misleading dating profiles have overtaken ghosting as daters’ biggest frustration, according to a new Stud or Dud survey. The report found that 57% of respondents have caught a date lying, while only about one in five completely or mostly trust dating profile information.
- Fake or misleading profiles were the top frustration for 46% of respondents.
- Fifty-seven percent said they had caught a date lying.
- Forty-two percent had canceled a date after researching someone.
- Women reported feeling unsafe online at a higher rate than men.
- The survey covered 1,000 U.S.-based respondents.
Trust is becoming a central dating concern
Stud or Dud’s Modern Dating Confidence Report found that 46% of respondents identified fake or misleading profiles as their top dating frustration, compared with 30% who selected ghosting. The findings suggest that many daters are questioning whether the person behind a profile is accurately represented.
Among respondents who said they had caught a date lying, the most common misleading details involved age, at 36%, relationship or marital status, at 34%, and photos, at 26%. Only about 20% said they trust information on a dating profile completely or mostly. By contrast, 44% said they trust it a little or not at all.
Criminal history was identified as a dealbreaker by 31% of respondents, but only 9% said they had searched a date’s criminal or legal history. Amber Higgins, CEO of PeopleFinders and part of the team behind Stud or Dud, said in the announcement that dating should not rely only on “a few photos and a short bio.”
Research before a date is increasingly accepted
Nearly three-quarters of respondents, 74%, said they had researched someone before meeting them. That figure rose to 85% among Gen Z and Millennials. Nearly half, 46%, described this research as a “smart safety precaution,” while only 5% considered it creepy or invasive.
The research can directly affect dating plans. Forty-two percent said they had canceled a date because of something they found while researching the person, and 37% had asked friends to help vet a potential date. In addition, 65% said they were comfortable using a “verification tool” to learn more about someone before meeting.
Respondents also said they would be more willing to go on a date if they could verify the person first, with 88% agreeing. Seventy-five percent said they would be comfortable knowing that a potential date had used a tool to research them.
Women and younger daters report different concerns
Women reported greater safety concerns than men. Nearly one-third of women, 31%, said they feel unsafe meeting someone from online, compared with 8% of men. Women were also more likely to tell a friend or family member where they were going before a date, at 69%, compared with 43% of men.
Gen Z respondents were more likely than Boomers to act on information found online. Fifty-six percent of Gen Z had canceled a date over something they found online, compared with 22% of Boomers. Gen Z was also more likely to meet potential dates through social media, at 65% compared with 8% of Boomers, and to search for dates on Instagram, at 47% compared with 4%.
The survey was conducted by Pollfish among 1,000 U.S.-based respondents between September 23-26, 2026. Stud or Dud describes itself as an AI-powered dating-information and entertainment platform that brings together public records, publicly available information, and AI-generated insights.
