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Online Dating Scams: Reviews of CoffeeMeetsBagel

Online Dating Reviews: Coffee Meets Bagel
The app is free... but actually using it will cost you!

Conclusion: Supposed to be a "free" app to be primarily used on a phone or tablet, CoffeeMeetsBagel.com has a model that is claimed to be free, but many users report effectively you must pay (by buying "coffeebeans") in order to "like" people, and even then, those people may not be able to see you or that you liked them.  The app also appears to have many of the same issues as other dating websites, such as fake profiles and scammers.

What CoffeeMeetsBagel says:

There is little meaningful explanation of their app on their website.

We create meaningful connections that spark hearts and inspire people to share themselves authentically and enthusiastically. Every day at noon, receive quality matches curated just for you by our ever-evolving algorithm.

How does CoffeeMeetsBagel work?

It finds potential "curated" matches through connections found in Facebook through your Facebook friends.  In other words, someone you do not know but with whom you have a mutual friend. You get matches once a dat and you have a limited amount of time to review them.  In onder to connect with (message) someone, you must each indiviually like each other. Just because you have "liked" someone does not mean they will be shown, see nor like your profile.

The app is free to install, and you are supposed to be able to earn points ("coffee beans" or "beans") for free, but many people report you must buy likes (buying "coffeebeans"  to or else wait a long time to accumulate free points.

Here's how you get their points / coffee beans:

  1. Earn them:
    Uploading photos = 16 coffee beans each.
    Completing you profile = 3 beans per field.
    Referrals =earns you 150 coffee beans for 15 invitations or 3,000 beans for 30 invitations sent.
  2. Pay - CMB Premium
    1 month $34.99
    3-month $74.99
    1 year $179.99
    And buying "extra bagels" 1 bagel is reported to cost about $4 to $5

What does this mean?  One user says "To like one person costs you 380+ beans"

One review website explains their paradigm much better than CMB does: excerpted here, click here for their full explanation: (note that this review dates to back to 2014)

SiSigning up for Coffee Meets Bagel takes only a minute because, instead of loathsome personality quizzes and time-consuming match-preferences, it simply connects to your Facebook profile. ... Coffee Meets Bagel curates potential matches by finding other Coffee Meets Bagel users that share friend connections with you on Facebook. (Each day) You have 24 hours to review their profile information and choose to "like" or "pass" on your match.  Mutual "likes" leads to a private chat line that expires in 7 days. Both parties must "like" each other to initiate contact and be a match.

What are the reviews?

OnOn Google's Play Store, it receives 4 stars out of 59,000 reviews as of March 2019. In Apple's App Store, it has 74,000 reviews with an average rating of 4.4 stars. Women seem to like it better than men but both complain about the costs. It is difficult to know if these 4-star ratings real; many of the high ratings have very little text liuke "great app" which suggest they are fake reviews.  Meanwhile, the critical reviews are typically details, lengthy and articulate.  Many rewviers complained that the system appaers to move people who are frequently liked (in other words, the more desirable or attractive people) into the paid "discover" section and out of the free section.

A summary of some excerpts of the reviews is:

  • "free dating app... but you have to pay for beans"
  • "Much better than Tinder."
  • "Paying options are insanely expensive"
  • "No better or worse than other apps"
  • "Quality of matches here are great"
  • "had to call my bank "
  • "fewer fake profiles than other apps"
  • "But still "4 out of 5 conversations turned out to be scammers"
  • "If you like spending money to like fake accounts, this is the app for you"
  • "To like one person costs you 380+ beans"
  • Takes one week to earn enough beans to like one person"
  • "The bagels are a gambling system"
  • It's a gamble to send someone a bagel not knowing at all if they will even (be able to) see you!"
  • "You have to buy bagels for the attractive choices in the discover section"
  • "it is supposed to give you free beans every day, but (it) stopped giving means after 2 weeks; received none for months now"
  • "Too many fake profiles"
  • "The discover tab also frequently shows me more attractive matches who have already liked me, but of course they cost beans. I am done with this app."

 

Dating Precautions:

If you are active on online dating websites, or via classifieds, chat rooms and forums, beware.  Some reports indicate that as much as 30% of the personalities are scams. That beautiful woman (or handsome guy) may be in love with your wallet or purse, not you! Here are some of the typical scams:

  • Hard core scammers set out to con you into sending them money;
  • fake profiles intended to redirect you to another website (porn, gambling or even another dating website); or
  • real people looking to date... but they are not who they claim to be!

Even the biggest and oldest dating websites, such as Match.com, eHarmoney, POF (Plenty of Fish), AOL, etc., are not immune to scammers. Dating has changed since the advent of the internet and you have to be knowledgeable and have you guard up to find true love, instead of a real scam!

How to Recognize an Online Dating Scam Artist

The relationship may not be what you think, especially if your suitor:

  • wants to leave the dating site immediately and use personal email or IM
  • claims love in a heartbeat
  • claims to be from the U.S., but is traveling or working overseas
  • plans to visit, but is prevented by a traumatic event or a business deal gone sour
  • Scammers also like to say they're out of the country for business or military service.
  • Asks for money (ESPECIALLY via Western Union Moneygrams - that is ALWAYS a sign of a scam!)

What You Can Do About a Dating Scam

You suffer heartache,  but you don't have to lose your savings, too. Never send money!  Scammers often use these excuses to ask you to send them money to cover:

  • travel
  • medical emergencies (for them or a family member)
  • hotel bills
  • Theft
  • Unexpected business expenses which they say are not covered by their business or insurance
  • hospital bills for a child or other relative
  • visas or other official documents
  • or losses from a temporary financial setback

Don't send money to tide someone over after a mugging or robbery, and don't do anyone a favor by making an online purchase or forwarding a package to another country. One request leads to another, and delays and disappointments will follow. In the end, the money will be gone along with the person you thought you knew.

Here are visitor-submitted reports of dating scams. And here are some key points to remember about the scams.

Also see this page on Russian dating scams.


Actual scam emails received:

  1. Miss Nafisatu John Apollo
  2. Hannah Daniel
  3. Michelle Serges

What can you do to avoid being scammed on dating websites

Scammers are present everywhere on the dating websites. Even if you use established dating websites, like Match.com, eHarmony, etc., and even the women say they live in your own country, you may be scammed.

Before you invest your emotions into a long distance relationship, compare what they say against common sense.  Someone who claims to be in love without, sight unseen, never having met you in person, is mostly a scammer or simply unbalanced.

Apply the same common sense rules of safe dating online as you would in person.

  • Let friends or relatives know where you are going and when you expect to return when you meet someone from a dating website.
  • Always meet in a public place.
  • Never send money to someone you met online.
  • Especially, never, ever send money via Western Union.

Report relationship scams to:

 

And please let us know about any suspicious calls or emails you receive.  We look for patterns so that we can alert the authorities and victims to new scams, before it is too late!

 

 


 

For a comprehensive list of national and international agencies to report scams, see this page.