Before paying to keep a dating-app conversation going, check what the service actually promises. A September 2026 investigation describes apps that presented AI-generated romantic personas as real people. The practical question is not simply whether someone asks you to transfer money: it is whether the app itself is charging you for a misleading interaction.
What the new report found
In its September threat intelligence report, published on 10 September 2026, Anthropic describes a network of more than 20 deceptive dating apps. It says it identified over 4,700 AI personas interacting with at least 25,000 people during a two-week period in April 2026. These are historical observations, not a count of people affected this week.
According to the report, users bought coins to replenish messaging and matching allowances. Real paid workers were mixed with automated personas, including for video calls intended to make the service seem authentic. Anthropic says it banned the operators’ accounts and worked with industry partners.
Impulsec has not independently tested the apps or verified the underlying dataset. The findings concern this reported network; they do not establish that every paid dating service uses deceptive bots.
Why the payment model matters
A clearly disclosed AI companion and a service promising introductions to real people are different purchases. Charging for a subscription or messages is not, by itself, evidence of fraud. The concern is a material mismatch between what you were told and what you receive.
Impulsec’s view: review both the person you are speaking to and the service taking your payment. A convincing conversation is not an independent check of a platform’s business practices.
Checks to make before buying more credits
- Read the disclosure. Check the store listing, terms and payment screen for references to automated profiles, virtual companions, entertainment or paid operators. Decide whether that matches the reason you joined.
- Check the cost in real money. Look at what each credit purchase buys, whether payments recur and which company appears on the receipt. Do not let a dwindling coin balance make the decision for you.
- Pause if the experience contradicts the promise. Save the specific claim and your receipts before seeking an explanation. Avoid paying more solely to resolve doubts about an earlier purchase.
- Get an outside perspective. Talk to someone you trust before sending money or sharing sensitive personal information.
If you suspect you have paid a scammer
The FTC’s romance-scam guidance recommends ending contact, notifying the app or social platform and contacting your bank or payment provider promptly to ask about recovering the money. US readers can also submit a report at ReportFraud.ftc.gov. A refund is not guaranteed.
Keep your complaint factual: what was advertised, what you paid, when you paid it and what made you believe the service was misrepresented. You do not need to prove which AI model produced a message before raising a concern with the payment provider.
For wider household discussions about personal information and online interactions, see our guide to online safety for families.
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Stuart Kerr Spindlow is Impulsec’s Publisher, Chief Editor and Lead Reviewer. He writes and maintains coverage of consumer cybersecurity and digital-safety software, with a focus on practical suitability, limitations and the evidence behind product claims. Read Stuart’s full profile.