Credit: Netflix

Netflix’s true-crime catalogue encompasses a diverse array of shocking real-life cases ranging from stories of notorious serial killers and cunning fraudsters to scary cyber-stalkers and monsters hiding underneath human skin.

But unlike traditional true-crime stories, which often feel distant or confined to extreme criminal underworlds, documentaries focusing on the dangers of online dating have surged in popularity largely because millions use online dating apps daily.

This proximity makes the danger feel immediate and personal, with viewers usually thinking, ‘that could have been me’. As a result, watching these stories acts as a form of modern survivalism since viewers consume them partly as a cautionary manual.

So, if you’re interested in a binge session that blends psychological curiosity and modern social anxieties, here are three Netflix documentaries that shed light on the dangers of online dating.

Three Netflix documentaries about the dangers of online dating:

The Tinder Swindler (Felicity Morris, 2022)

Perhaps the most popular and undoubtedly the most jaw-dropping true-crime documentary of recent memory, The Tinder Swindler is an exposé of Shimon Hayut, an Israeli con-man posing as Simon Leviev, an apparent billionaire heir to a diamond fortune. Hayut used the alias to project massive wealth, showing off private jets, luxury cars, and high-end dinners to charm his potential Tinder matches.

But what followed next was nothing less than a living nightmare. After gaining trust, Hayut alleged that his business rivals were tailing him, leading to the claim that his credit cards were unsafe to use.

The Tinder Swindler chronicles how he exploited several women through his web of lies, defrauding them of an estimated $10million globally before the victims joined forces to expose and end his Ponzi scheme once and for all.

Sweet Bobby: My Catfish Nightmare (Lyttanya Shannon, 2024)

Based on the 2021 Tortoise Media podcast of the same name, Sweet Bobby: My Catfish Nightmare revisits the true story of British radio presenter Kirat Assi, who was psychologically exploited and catfished people digitally for almost a decade.

It all began with a Facebook friend request from a man named Bobby Jandu in 2009, which Kirat accepted unsuspectingly, and over time, their casual online chats evolved into a deep, romantic relationship. Bobby came across as an ideal partner, and nothing really raised Kirat’s eyebrows.

In fact, the other online profiles belonging to his supposed friends and family members reinforced the illusion and communicated with Kirat to make the relationship feel real. But despite growing incredibly close, Bobby was never short of excuses when it came to meeting in person. Sweet Bobby: My Catfish Nightmare revolves around her virtual relationship that culminated in a devastating discovery.

Lover, Stalker, Killer (Sam Hobkinson, 2024)

Speaking of digital deception, it’s almost impossible to skip Lover, Stalker, Killer from the true-crime watchlist. The Netflix documentary details the 2012 to 2017 case of auto mechanic Dave Kroupa, who moved to Omaha, Nebraska, and started online dating on Plenty of Fish.

He started a casual, non-exclusive relationship with single mother Liz Goylar, which didn’t last long. After meeting Cari Farver at his auto shop and realising she had a profile on the site, they began dating too. Just weeks into dating Dave, Farver vanished into thin air without a trace, and soon enough, Liz and Kroupa began receiving relentless threatening texts and emails from online accounts that seemingly belonged to Cari.

Over the next few years, Dave received hundreds of thousands of harassing emails, but it was only when investigators re-examined the cold case that chilling details came to light. Lover, Stalker, Killer explores how Dave was trapped in a multi-year digital stalking scam that culminated in a horrible crime.