“Food Digging”: The Shady Dating App Scam That’s Luring Singles to Restaurants

If you’ve spent any time on dating apps, you know the drill: swipe, match, and hope your date is actually who they say they are. But a new and unsettling trend, dubbed “food digging,” is taking the online dating world to a whole new level of deception. It turns out, you might not be getting catfished by another person at all—you could be getting scammed by a restaurant.

This scam, which has been widely reported in cities like Delhi, India, is now making its way to the U.S. The premise is simple: restaurants are creating fake profiles on dating apps, posing as eligible singles to trick users into dining at their establishments.

TikTok user Taylor Paré (@paretay) shared her own suspicious experience. She matched with a guy who immediately asked her on a date to a specific restaurant. She went, but he never showed up. He had unmatched with her, leaving her stood up and alone. Despite being frustrated, she decided to eat something while she was there.

It was only later that she realised the restaurant’s cunning strategy. As Paré explained, “Once you get stood up, they know that probably nine times out of 10 that you’re going to buy something from them.” The restaurant essentially uses a fake date as a marketing tool, banking on the fact that a stood-up diner will still order food rather than leave empty-handed.

While some are sceptical that this scam will catch on in the U.S., citing that restaurant owners are too busy for such tactics, others have already shared similar stories. One user admitted to doing this as a bar promoter back in 2013, and another mentioned a coffee shop owner in France who pulls a similar trick.

This isn’t the first time restaurants have used questionable marketing tactics. Many are known to operate under different names on food delivery apps to expand their reach. Whether “food digging” becomes a widespread problem or remains a niche scam, it’s another reminder to be cautious and aware while navigating the online world.

So, next time you’re swiping, you might want to ask yourself: is this person really interested in me, or is a restaurant just looking for a dinner date?

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Source: Delish

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