Interview with LemonSwan bouncer—A good door stays closed sometimes
Interview with bouncer Linda at LemonSwan – find out interesting facts about the bouncers at LemonSwan and the topic of love scammers.
Doorwoman at LemonSwan—that sounds like a good job at an exclusive club, right or wrong?
Linda: Almost right! I don't actually stand at the door, but sit inside at my laptop, but the job description is quite similar. I check the profiles of new registrations. Just like at a good club, where they check which people will make for a good party and which won't.
How can you tell who has serious intentions and who doesn't?
In close collaboration with LemonSwan psychologist Andrea Simmer, we have developed fixed criteria to proceed strategically and verify the sincerity of new members. As a gatekeeper, I manually check every profile entry and photo against these criteria.
What criteria would those be?
First, we check the photos. If they look overly attractive and artificial, that immediately arouses suspicion. Fakers often take photos from the internet, sometimes even using photos of celebrities, which makes our work much easier because that's the first thing that stands out. Very sexy photos of women in bikinis or underwear are also questionable, as they could be model photos from online image databases. Then there are the so-called love scammers.
As a bouncer, how can you recognize a love scammer?
They are often men who adorn themselves with status symbols. In photos, you see them with yachts, fast cars, or in front of a villa, demonstrating their power and wealth. Of course, this is usually fake. At LemonSwan, we don't want such scammers from the outset. Women in particular should feel safe with us. For everyone on the platform, the search for a dream partner should be a beautiful and positive phase, not something unpleasant that costs nerves. To ensure that the search runs smoothly, we set the framework conditions in advance.
What else do you look for when checking profiles?
People who are genuinely looking for a partner usually fill out their profile in detail. They want to tell others about themselves in the hope of meeting someone like-minded. As a gatekeeper, I immediately notice that fake profiles seem thin. There is little information, vague answers, or extreme, exaggerated adjectives are used that sound made up. Incorrect spelling and grammar can also be an indication. If I notice something like this, I ask the user for more information and photos. I also check their name on social networks.
That almost sounds like detective work...
That's right. But our specially developed process helps a lot with screening and works reliably. I am motivated by my own desire for singles on LemonSwan to feel comfortable and not have to waste time with fakes, which is annoying, time-consuming, and nerve-wracking. That's what I'm here for: to provide a good feeling of security. Sometimes the famous gut feeling also comes into play. In any case, my intuition has improved considerably since I started working as a bouncer at LemonSwan.
How many fakes do you uncover on average?
Over 80 percent of singles are honest and sincere. We follow up on about 20 percent. That's roughly equivalent to the “real” admission rate at the door of a trendy club.
