B2 News Technology · May 21, 2026

Love factually: Dating start-ups promise to cut the cheats

Dating start-ups are using ID checks, personal vetting, and niche communities to fight fake profiles.

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Online dating has a trust problem, and a wave of start-ups thinks it can fix it. Fake profiles, catfishing, and AI-generated bios have turned the search for love into something closer to a fraud investigation — and a growing number of entrepreneurs are building platforms designed to cut through the deception.

Dennie Smith, a hairdresser from south London, launched Geek Meet Club after noticing that mainstream dating apps were flooded with fake accounts. She personally vets every applicant and turns away around 50 people a month. She lists the ways in which online dating lets people down: volume-obsessed platforms, concealed scams, and profiles that bear no resemblance to reality. Her solution is refreshingly low-tech — get people offline and into the real world, whether that's a pub quiz or a sci-fi convention, as fast as possible.

Jo Mason, a City banker, took a more technology-driven approach with her platform Cherry Dating. Prospective members must verify their identity by matching a selfie to an official ID document — the same method big banks use to spot anomalies in accounts. Many users baulk at this level of scrutiny and abandon the process, but Mason sees that as a feature, not a bug. Her platform also scores users for compatibility, so members can make an informed choice before investing time in someone. Research she commissioned found that 47% of British respondents feel no existing app meets their needs.

Just as interest-specific sites are more likely to be successful according to dating coach Jocelyn Penque, so are age-related ones. Penque, who coaches high-achieving professionals on their relationship strategies, is not anti-technology — she even acknowledges that AI tools like ChatGPT can help people who struggle to articulate themselves in a profile. But she warns that vague prompts produce vague results, and that users should be explicit about their values and long-term intentions.

The common thread running through all three approaches is urgency: get people off the screen and into the same room. As one coach put it, no algorithm has yet found a way to replicate the simple, revealing act of meeting someone face to face.

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📚 Key vocabulary

verify (verb)
to confirm that something or someone is genuine and exactly what they claim to be
"All new suppliers must verify their credentials before they can access our systems."
compatibility (noun)
how well two people, systems, or things work together or suit each other
"The HR team used a personality test to assess compatibility between candidates and team culture."
baulk (verb)
to hesitate or refuse to do something because it seems difficult, risky, or unpleasant
"Many clients baulk at signing a long-term contract without a trial period first."
informed choice (phrase)
a decision made after gathering enough relevant information to understand the options clearly
"We present all the data upfront so customers can make an informed choice about which plan suits them."
anomaly (noun)
something that is unusual or different from what is expected, often suggesting a problem
"The audit team flagged several anomalies in the quarterly expense reports."

✨ Useful phrases for this topic

"bear no resemblance to reality"
Use this when describing something — a document, claim, or presentation — that is completely inaccurate or misleading.
"The project proposal bore no resemblance to reality once we looked at the actual budget figures."
"spot anomalies"
Use this when talking about identifying unusual patterns or irregularities in data, accounts, or behaviour.
"Our compliance software is designed to spot anomalies in transaction data before they become serious issues."
"make an informed choice"
Use this when emphasising that a decision should be based on clear, complete information rather than guesswork.
"We always share full product specifications so that buyers can make an informed choice."

Advanced sentence structures

Patterns from this article you can use in meetings, emails, and everyday English

Structure 1

In context

Just as interest-specific sites are more likely to be successful according to Penque, so are age-related ones.

The skeleton

Frame: Just as [A] is/are more likely to [verb/be adjective], so is/are [B].

What it does: Draws a parallel between two things, saying the same logic applies to both.

Quick swap: "Just as smaller companies are more likely to adapt quickly, so are newer ones."

More examples

  • "Just as urban hospitals are more likely to attract specialist staff, so are university-affiliated ones."
  • "Just as experienced candidates are more likely to negotiate salary, so are those with rare skills."
  • "Just as short-term rentals are more likely to suffer from wear and tear, so are student properties."

Easy exercise

Arrange the words and add the missing structural elements to build a correct sentence.

  1. interest-specific dating apps · succeed · niche social clubs · just as · more likely to
  2. just as · remote workers · benefit from flexible hours · freelancers · more likely to
Show answers
  • "Just as interest-specific dating apps are more likely to succeed, so are niche social clubs."
  • "Just as remote workers are more likely to benefit from flexible hours, so are freelancers."

Open exercise

Write your own sentence using this structure. You can write about anything — here are some ideas if you need them:

  • Comparing two types of online platforms or communities
  • Comparing two groups of employees or job seekers
  • Comparing two types of learners or students

One possible answer: "Just as bilingual students are more likely to excel in language exams, so are those who have lived abroad."

Structure 2

In context

She lists the ways in which online dating lets people down.

The skeleton

Frame: [Subject] [verb] the ways in which [noun phrase] [verb phrase].

What it does: Introduces a list or explanation by framing it around how something fails, works, or affects people.

Quick swap: "The report outlines the ways in which remote work affects team communication."

More examples

  • "Researchers have documented the ways in which poor sleep undermines workplace performance."
  • "The article explores the ways in which social media shapes young people's self-image."
  • "Managers often overlook the ways in which unclear instructions slow down their teams."

Easy exercise

Arrange the words and add the missing structural elements to build a correct sentence.

  1. fake profiles · the ways in which · she describes · trust · undermine
  2. the ways in which · budget cuts · this study · affect · patient care · examines
Show answers
  • "She describes the ways in which fake profiles undermine trust."
  • "This study examines the ways in which budget cuts affect patient care."

Open exercise

Write your own sentence using this structure. You can write about anything — here are some ideas if you need them:

  • How technology changes the way people meet or communicate
  • How a workplace policy affects employees
  • How daily habits influence health or well-being

One possible answer: "Many people fail to consider the ways in which constant notifications disrupt their ability to concentrate."

💬 Discussion questions

1

Have you ever encountered a fake or misleading profile — in dating, on LinkedIn, or anywhere else online? What gave it away?

2

Cherry Dating requires users to submit a government ID to join. Is that level of verification reasonable, or does it go too far — and where should companies draw the line on personal data?

3

Jocelyn Penque says high-achieving professionals often haven't prioritised relationships. Do you think the pressure to succeed at work makes it harder to build a personal life, and how do you manage that balance?

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