Watch CBS News

Survey: New Yorkers May Be More Likely To Lie On Their Internet Dating Profiles

NEW YORK(CBSNewYork) -- If you're looking for love on the Internet you need to be careful. The online dating pool in our area is overflowing with liars, according to a recent survey.

The survey found that New Yorkers most often lied about age, nationality, and career. Some even lied about their looks.

"Someone would say that they're athletic, and they're not. They look like a couch potato," former online dater Jenny Maria told CBS 2's Cindy Hsu.

Many online daters lie to avoid getting passed over before making contact, explained dating expert Laurie Davis.

"When you're online dating you're in a search-based world, so you can be searched out of someone's criteria. For example, if they're looking for someone 35-45 and you're 46," she said.

Survey: New Yorkers May Be More Likely To Lie On Their Internet Dating Profiles

However, some people take their online fibbing too far. Former online dater Roman Rojas told CBS 2 that he was speaking to a woman who used a model's pictures and lied about her job.

"She said she was a DEA undercover agent and I was like 'wow, you're going on undercover missions.' She's like 'yeah, I went on a really dangerous mission today and a bullet almost hit me,'" Rojas said.

The whole thing fell apart after three months.

Even though a profile may be filled with fibs, Davis told CBS 2 it's important to keep an open mind.

"While people do fib here and there in their profiles, that's not ultimately something you should worry about when you're searching. When you meet offline, that's when all the chemistry is going to happen or not," she explained.

On average about 19-27 percent of online daters lie in their profile. In New York the number is  more like 30 percent.

Davis recommends being cautious and keeping an open heart.

You may share your thoughts in our comments section below...

View CBS News In
CBS News App Open
Chrome Safari Continue
Be the first to know
Get browser notifications for breaking news, live events, and exclusive reporting.