Ridiculously easy Tinder scam nets student $100 a week - here's how to avoid falling victim

A US student discovered an astonishingly simple way to scam lusty Tinder users out of money – and it's sure to leave you wondering why you didn't think of it first.

Twenty-year-old Maggie Archer made up to $100 a week simply by writing "Send me $5 and see what happens" in her Tinder bio. When unwitting admirers took the bait, she sent them her PayPal account info, waited for the cash to come in – then simply unmatched with them.

"It's really a fool-proof plan, because I'm not actually promising anything, I just say 'see what happens,'" Archer told BuzzFeed News.

Archer said the scam began as a joke between friends, but after finding that it worked decided to see how far she could take it. Out all the people she matched with, the student claimed around one in five actually sent her money – meaning the more you match, the more cash you could potentially make.

Archer claimed that during the course of one week she received money from over than 20 men, pocketing her at least $100.

While some have dubbed the scam cruel, others have praised Archer for her enterprising scheme. Yes, it's exploitative, but why would you send money to someone you don't know in the first place?

After sharing screenshots on Twitter, other woman have reported success with the ploy after trying it out for themselves. Unsurprisingly, the reaction from those duped has been less enthusiastic.

A word of warning to anyone thinking of using Archer's idea for their own ends: Tinder has now shut down Archer's account for violating its terms of service and warned that users who try anything similar risk having their accounts terminated.

An exploitative money-making scheme or a lesson in male stupidity? You decide.