Latest news with #Elin
Indian Express
08-07-2025
- Politics
- Indian Express
Australia gears up to impose social media ban on teens. What Britain, Norway and EU nations are doing
Australia is set to implement curbs on a million teens on social media usage from this December and the young users are scrambling to find a way past it. Social media companies like Meta, Snapchat and TikTok will invite a fine of more than $49.5 million if they fail to implement what the law calls 'reasonable steps' to block teen users from December this year, Reuters reported. As per the norms of the online platforms, users need to be at least 13 years old to sign up for an account. In the bid to impose the ban, Australia is coming up with age-checking software and 13-year-old Jasmine Elin who tested it was surprised by its accuracy. However, she is sceptical if it will work. 'People are always going to find a way to get past it,' Elin was quoted as saying by Reuters. She had tested five photo-based age estimation products with about 30 other students in May. 'They can get their brother or sister to take a photo. There's nothing really that you can do about it,' she said. With the implementation of the world's first national social media ban on those below 16 years, dubbed to protect their mental and physical health, coming up in Australia, similar echoes are found in other parts of the world like Britain, France and Singapore. Here's what Britain, Norway and European Union countries including France, Germany, Italy, Netherlands have been doing to curb social media usage among teens and children: Back in November last year, Peter Kyle, Secretary of State for Science, Innovation and Technology had said that everything is on the table when it comes to keeping people safe online and has launched a study to explore the impact of smartphone and social media use specifically on children. He had said that regulator Ofcom must have regard to government priorities such as safety by design and transparency and accountability, as they enforce the Online Safety Act from next year. The act, which imposes standards for social media platforms such as Facebook, YouTube and TikTok comprising of appropriate age restrictions was passed in 2023 by the then government. Norway: In October last year, the Norwegian government had proposed raising the age at which children can consent to the terms required to use social media to 15 years from 13 years. However, as per the regulations, parents would be permitted to sign off on their behalf they are under the age limit. The government had said work was underway to set an absolute legal minimum age limit for social media use. As per government data, half of Norway's nine-year-olds use social media in some form or the other. EU legislation: Parental permission is mandatory for processing of personal date for children under the age of 16 in the European Union while the bloc's 27 member states can lower the limit to 13. France: Two years ago, France had passed a law mandating social platforms to get parental consent for minors under 15 to set up accounts. While local media say technical challenges hindered its implementation, in April last year, a panel headed by President Emmanuel Macron put forth stricter rules, including banning cellphones for children under 11 and internet-enabled phones for those under 13. Germany: While child protection advocates say limitations are insufficient in the country and urge for stricter rules, minors between the ages of 13 and 16 are permitted to use social media in Germany with parents' consent. Belgium: In 2018, Belgium implemented a law permitted children to be at least 13 years old to set up a social media account without parental consent. Netherlands: The government had banned mobile devices in classrooms from January 2024 to limit distractions during studies, with exceptions for online classes, medical needs and disabilities. There is no particular law related to minimum age for social media usage in the country. Italy: Children under the age of 14 require parental permission to set up social media accounts, while no permission is required for those above 14. (With inputs from Reuters, New York Times)
National Geographic
06-06-2025
- National Geographic
Exploring myths, legends and island life at the edge of the Atlantic
This article was produced by National Geographic Traveller (UK). In the shallows of Lake Sørvágsvatn stands a horse. A brisk wind has sent ranks of tight little waves across the water and they slap at his flanks with monotonous persistence. Behind him, the hills are smothered by dark clouds, the weakest hint of sunlight struggling to break out beneath them. Perhaps in protest at the weather, the horse has reared up, forelegs raised, head pulled back. But all is not what it seems. Drawing closer, ambling down the pebble beach towards the shore, I find not the flesh and bones of a disgruntled stallion, but a jumble of rocks and earth packed within a steel, horse-shaped frame. A sign chiselled into a moss-flecked boulder tells me that this is the Nix — a creature that emerges on to land in search of victims to enchant. Should he trick you into touching him, he'll carry you off to the bottom of the lake, and there you shall stay forever. There is, however, a chance of salvation — if you're quick enough. 'With the Nix, if you say his name before you're in the water, he'll disappear,' Elin Hentze tells me, as we stand braced against a particularly vigorous gust. 'The spell is broken, he loses his force.' The Nix emerges on to land in search of victims to enchant. Should he trick you into touching him, he'll carry you off to the bottom of the lake, and there you shall stay forever. Photograph by Jonathan Stokes We're on Vágar, one of 18 islands that make up the Faroes, a self-governing region of Denmark that lies geographically closer to Iceland than the European continent — and in looks is closer to the fantasy lands of The Hobbit or Game of Thrones. It's a place where dark, towering cliffs rise out of the frothing Atlantic; where meadows sweep up and up to end at shard-like pinnacles of rock; and where waterfalls tumble sideways, caught on the wind. If ever folk tales were to take root then, it's here, in this mysterious archipelago at the far reaches of Europe. With Elin as my guide, I'm in the Faroes to unearth some of its stories, crisscrossing between islands in search of the giants, spirits and trolls that are said to dwell on them. Sørvágsvatn proves rich hunting ground. Leaving the Nix to its damp stake-out, we skirt the lake, passing little plots of land divided by dry-stone walls. Behind them, the Faroes' particularly straggly breed of sheep chew determinedly on the buttercups. Abandoning the car, we take a muddy path along the shoreline, hopping across shallow streams that bubble down from the surrounding slopes, and stopping to pick tiny blueberries that grow by the track. Elin — encased in waterproof hiking gear, long hair tucked beneath a bobble hat — tells me, 'Huldufolk are said to live in this area, under the rocks and in the grass. They come out to dance; there are many stories about men who are too curious about them and are taken.' The Faroes share the idea of huldufolk (hidden folk; nebulous creatures that are neither human nor elf) with Iceland. The tales likely came over with Norse settlers who arrived in both regions in the ninth century, and traded with wool, furs and fish over a millennium. The ocean that brought them here is soon revealed as the path climbs upwards, disappearing into dense fog, before we emerge at the top of the Trælanípan Cliff. The furious surf of the Atlantic thrashes against the rock 460ft below, grey-winged fulmars coming into land at barely perceptible ledges in the basalt. A dish of salt cod is served at Fiskastykkið restaurant on Vágar, one of 18 islands that make up the Faroes. Photograph by Jonathan Stokes The Faroe Islands are a place where dark, towering cliffs rise out of the frothing Atlantic; where meadows sweep up and up to end at shard-like pinnacles of rock; and where waterfalls tumble sideways, caught on the wind. Photograph by Jonathan Stokes Behind us, Lake Sørvágsvatn seems separated from the ocean by the slimmest sliver of land, creating an optical illusion that it floats above it. Absorbed by the spectacle in every direction, we watch as clouds churn and froth across the sky, creating shifting patterns of sunlight on the water, and the wind threatens to throw us to the waves. 'Long ago, so many people were lost at sea and in nature in the Faroes,' Elin says. 'Perhaps that's why they needed to believe in myths — you feel that there's a force bigger than you here and you need some explanation for it.' Proving the adage that truth is often stranger than fiction, however, she tells of the Viking-owned slaves who were thrown to their deaths at Trælanípan when they were too old or sick to be useful, and of a woman who hiked here with her husband more recently, and was never seen again. The seal woman & the spy Humans are thought to have lived on the Faroe Islands for well over two millennia. It's only in recent years that they've begun to tame them. Where tiny settlements of turf-roofed houses were once only accessible by boat or by a long, treacherous yomp over wild landscapes, tunnels now burrow under the sea and carve through mountains to connect them. One — the 6.8-mile Eysturoy Tunnel — even has a roundabout in it, 620ft beneath the waves. The following morning, I zip between islands through these underwater passageways on the drive north. Before leaving Vágar, I stop at Trøllkonufingur, a column of basalt as tall as the Eiffel Tower. Legend has it that Iceland sent a troll witch to steal the Faroes — but, before she had a chance to get to work, she was turned to stone by the rising sun and sank beneath the sea, with just a single finger remaining above the water, pointing upwards. Ignoring her directions, I head downwards, taking tunnels for as long as I can before they run out — four island-hops later — at the town of Klaksvík on Borðoy. Here, the ferry takes over. A light drizzle falls as the vessel creaks out of the harbour and steers north east through the mist to Kalsoy. Passengers greet one another as old friends, sitting at formica-topped tables to chat over cups of coffee. 'The ferry was always the meeting place for everyone — you miss that when it's gone,' Elin tells me with a shrug when I ask if locals feel more connected now it's so easy to travel between islands. 'In the old days, when people came to a place, they stayed for a week. Now there are roads and tunnels, they just pass through.' In the island of Kalsoy, this hard-to-reach patch of land formed the backdrop of the final moments of the James Bond film, No Time To Die. Photograph by Jonathan Stokes Linked to its neighbours by a moderately infrequent ferry service, the pencil-shaped island of Kalsoy retains that out-of-time feel. A single road runs north to south, and sheep and geese are the most conspicuous users of it. We take it to its furthest point, swooping down the mountains in a series of hairpin bends to end at Trøllanes. 'It means Troll Peninsula,' Elin says as we stroll past the village's stone houses, home to just 13 residents. 'It's said it was visited every 12th night by trolls who lived in the surrounding mountains, and the villagers would run away as they drank and partied.' Their torment ended one night when an old woman who was too weak to run called out for Christ in fear — the trolls left and never came back. Sat in the bowl of a valley, with mountains looming on all sides and giant boulders littered across the slopes, Trøllanes is fertile ground for a tall tale — I'm almost convinced an unseen menace waits and watches above the village, ready to rush in under cover of nightfall. 'It can be so impressive and overwhelming here, particularly in winter,' Elin says. 'It makes it easy to believe in dark stories.' We leave the vanquished trolls of Trøllanes to climb up and over a ridge north of the village, following a faint trail as it weaves through the hills and around patches of bog. After an hour, the land abruptly runs out and, it seems, we find ourselves at the very edge of the world — with nothing but wheeling sea birds and the dark, rolling ocean between us and the North Pole. Just visible to the east are two sea stacks: the remnants, it's said, of a witch and a giant who, like the troll witch, came to steal the islands and were turned to stone in the dawn light. The narrowest thread of a path tacks along the cliff edge in their direction, ending at a red-and-white stone lighthouse. It's a balancing act to follow it, with the wind primed to whip me off into oblivion at the slightest misstep. I wouldn't be the first to meet an unpleasant end here. A little beyond the lighthouse, up a slope that eventually spears skywards and requires some puff to tackle, lies a modest basalt headstone. 'In memory of James Bond,' it reads. '1962-2021.' Actor Daniel Craig might never have set foot on Kalsoy — filming his scenes on green screen instead — but this hard-to-reach patch of land formed the backdrop to the spy's final moments, courtesy of a missile strike, in No Time To Die. This very modern fable is the reason many visitors make their way to Kalsoy these days, but the island has a long association with another tale with a violent ending: the Kópakonan. Having paid my respects to 007, I meet her down on the shore in Mikladagur, a village south along the coast from Trøllanes. She stands 9ft tall with her back to the sea, has a distinctly blue pallor and is half-naked — with what look like skin and flippers draped over the rock beneath her. 'This is one of the best-known tales in the Faroe Islands,' Elin explains as we admire the bronze statue. She tells me that, once a year long ago, seals would come out of the water and shed their skins on the beach, taking human form for a night of revelry. During one of these gatherings, a villager stole a seal woman's skin and she was forced to stay with him and bear his children. She was eventually able to reclaim her skin and flee back to the sea, falling in love with a bull seal and raising pups. In a jealous rage, the man killed her family; consumed with grief, she set a curse on him and his progeny for all eternity. 'Still today, if a man from the village drowns or falls from the cliffs,' Elin says, 'it's blamed on the curse.' There are versions of the seal woman's story across the North Atlantic, from the Orkneys to Greenland — likely evidence that the tales were carried back and forth by fishermen and traders. But it has a particular resonance in the Faroes, where it's known by every local, and it holds special value in Mikladagur. Rumour has it that some villagers even have webbed hands. Up steep concrete stairs above the Kópakonan, Café Eðge has prime views of the statue and the seals that bob near it come autumn — the perfect setting to recount the haunting story. Actor, playwright and artist Eyð Matras did just that, performing her drama, The Seal Woman, at the cafe throughout the summer of 2021. "If a man from the village drowns or falls from the cliffs,' Elin says, 'it's blamed on the curse [of the seal woman].' Photograph by Jonathan Stokes James Bond's burial site is just beyond the working lighthouse on Kalsoy. Photograph by Jonathan Stokes Catching the last ferry back to Klaksvík, I call in on her at her home, a handsome wooden house overlooking the harbour, built by her grandfather in 1899. With her little dog Vanya snuffling at our feet, the candles lit and a spread of local breads and cheeses on the table, we sit down to chat. 'When we tell oral stories like the seal woman, it's first for entertainment — it's for gathering around the fireplace, keeping the darkness of the night at bay,' Eyð explains, pouring the coffee. 'But it's to protect people, too. It's to keep people away from the sea and off the cliff edge. It's a warning.' She fetches some of the costume pieces she wore for The Seal Woman, including a woollen cape with dark threads coming out of it like seaweed and red shoes to represent blood. Her modern adaptation is a monologue set to music, and she recites some lines for me, her voice rising and falling in a steady, captivating rhythm. 'I think, nowadays, we see Kópakonan as a political story about women, self-realisation and having ownership over your own life,' she says, finishing her performance to my enthusiastic applause. 'But it's also about the wildness in her and in nature. That's not only for women but everyone — we should listen to the wildness inside ourselves. We come from it.' The artist & the farmer The Faroese appear particularly well-attuned to listening to the wildness within, and expressing that wildness through every medium possible; storytelling, it seems, is in their blood. The following morning, I make my way through the streets of Tórshavn to join another artist adding a new layer to the islands' timeworn tales. The quaint capital of the Faroe Islands, Tórshavn is a pretty muddle of black-tarred wooden buildings, some with turf roofs, and quiet harbour. Photograph by Jonathan Stokes - - The capital's old town is quiet, with just the odd dog-walker out and about on its cobbled alleys. It's a pretty muddle of black-tarred wooden buildings, some with turf roofs, most with candlesticks in the windows. The Faroese government still has its parliament here, on a peninsula jutting out into the Atlantic, as it has for 1,200 years. On a whitewashed wall curving around a winding lane sweeps a giant mural — of flying squid, tusk fish, whelks and a bounty of other sea creatures found off the islands' coast. I meet the man responsible for it, Heiðrikur á Heygum (or simply Heiðrik), in a cafe overlooking the boat masts of Tórshavn's harbour. Dressed in black, with delicate tattoos of native flora running up his arms, Heiðrik opens a portfolio case to reveal page after page of watercolours — there's a sinister elfin figure perched on a rock in the moonlight; a lone horse with a serpent's tail and glowing eyes standing in the water; a long-haired man with a tall crown and peevish expression sitting on a throne. They're all part of the artist's latest project — an illustrated book of the Faroes Islands' myths and folklore. 'Writing down the stories is new,' Heiðrik says, leafing through the work. 'Traditionally, they were shared through song, and an oral story is like Chinese whispers — it changes every time you tell it. I'm just another reteller, the latest link in the chain.' Heiðrikur á Heygum's latest project — an illustrated book of the Faroes Islands' myths and folklore, is set to be published at the end of the year, with versions in Faroese, Danish and English to bring the tales to a new audience. Photograph by Jonathan Stokes The plan is to publish the collection at the end of the year, with versions in Faroese, Danish and English bringing the tales to a new audience. Until then, visitors must make do with reading the stories in the landscapes that inspired them. 'Anywhere there's nature and the sea,' says Heiðrik, carefully putting away the pages, 'that's where you'll find legends in the Faroe Islands.' I spend my last evening discovering that the tradition of oral story-telling Heiðrik is magicking into print is still very much in rude health. The sun is just starting to set when Anna and Óli Rubeksen invite me into their home in the tiny village of Velbastaður, 15 minutes' drive from Tórshavn. Enormous picture windows line one side of the farmhouse, opening to views of grassland tumbling down to the pearly waters of Hestfjord and, beyond, to the tiny island of Hestur (population 15). 'Come, sit,' says Óli, gesturing to a long table, 'and I'll tell you our story.' Ninth-generation sheep farmers, the Rubeksens have been running supper clubs here since 2014, opening their house to up to 30 guests at a time. 'We try to be like a cultural exchange,' says Óli as sheep dog Mia leaps on to his lap. 'The magic for us is when everyone interacts with each other.' Named for heimablídni, a Faroese tradition of 'home hospitality', the dinners are a crash course in local ingredients and cooking, with dish after dish appearing on the table over the course of several hours: rye bread with salted mutton; carrot and vegetable soup; roast lamb with caramelised potatoes and red cabbage. With candles lit against the gathering gloom, conversation flows, leaping from the Norse language to rhubarb, sheepdog-training to Viking hygiene. Our attention is continually pulled towards the window, even when there's nothing to see but our own reflections staring back at us. 'You can understand in the old days when there was no electricity,' says Anna, peering out, 'you would sit and imagine so many things out there.' For now, feasting and company have tamed the Faroe Islands. But soon I must take my leave and head back out into the night, and everything looks different in the dark. Getting there & around Atlantic Airways flies direct from Gatwick to Vágar twice weekly from the end of May to the end of August; and from Edinburgh twice weekly from March to December. The rest of the year, fly via Copenhagen with Atlantic Airways or SAS. Average flight time: 2hr10m (Gatwick); 1hr35m (Edinburgh) A hire car is your best bet for travelling around the islands, and there are rental desks at the airport. It's a 45-minute drive from there to the capital Tórshavn. When to go June, July and August see the warmest temperatures (around 13C) and longest hours of daylight (up to 20 hours), but also the most visitors; locations with few facilities can get booked up fast. September is a good choice, with temperatures around 12C and 13 hours of daylight. The weather is changeable year-round, with rain and mist a possibility any time. While temperatures are fairly mild in winter (about 7C), many hotels shut for the season. Puffins arrive to nest in April, and usually stay until the end of August. Where to stay Hotel Vágar, Vágar island. From DKK800 (£90). Hotel Føroyar, Tórshavn. From DKK840 (£95). More info How to do it: Nordic travel specialist Where the Wild Is offers several itineraries. The eight-night Classic Circle Self-Drive covers multiple islands and includes visits to Lake Sørvágsvatn and Kalsoy; from £1,700, including hotels and car hire, excluding flights. The four-night Summer Puffin Adventure takes in Tórshavn and the puffin-nesting island of Mykines, from £1,250. This story was created with the support of Visit Faroe Islands. Published in the June 2025 issue of National Geographic Traveller (UK). To subscribe to National Geographic Traveller (UK) magazine click here. (Available in select countries only).
Wales Online
28-05-2025
- Entertainment
- Wales Online
Urdd Eisteddfod 2025: Second day winner announced
Our community members are treated to special offers, promotions and adverts from us and our partners. You can check out at any time. More info The winner of Drama Medal at the 2025 Eisteddfod yr Urdd Dur a Môr, Parc Margam a'r Fro, was announced yesterday (Tuesday May 27.) And the prize was won by Elin Undeg Williams from Betws Gwerfil Goch, Denbighshire It is exactly fifty years since the Eisteddfod yr Urdd Drama Medal was introduced as one of the main ceremonies - at Eisteddfod yr Urdd Llanelli in 1975. This year the competitors were required to write a play or monologue suitable for performance for any medium for no more than two actors, and no longer than 15 minutes. According to the judges, Heiddwen Tomos and Sêra Moore Williams, 14 plays were received in a 'very high standard' competition, with both judges 'very pleased with the promise and confidence show in all the plays.' Elin is 18 years old and studying Welsh, History and Religious Education at Ysgol Brynhyfryd. She plans on studying Law and Professional Welsh at Aberystwyth University in September. She is a keen member of Uwchaled Young Farmers Club and is looking forward to competing as a member of Aelwyd Llangwm at the Eisteddfod the end of the week. Elin would like to thank her teachers in the Welsh Language Department at Ysgol Brynhyfryd for being so supportive and thank her family for everything. The judges said: 'This is a timely play with clever dialogue around a difficult situation. From the first reading we both loved the play. There are special moments that really touch the heart. The writing is special and captivates the reader. "There is a real depth and understanding of characters that could easily be identified with. The message is gripping and the tenderness between the two characters sustains the play.' Second in the competition was Ffred Hayes from Cardiff, and Mali Grigg from Bangor in third place. Both are members of the latest Cwmni Theatr yr Urdd (Urdd's Youth Theatre Company) production Ceridwen . Elin will be given the opportunity to spend some time with Theatr Cymru and receive further training with the BBC. Elin received a special medal created by jeweller Rhiannon from Tregaron. The drama Medal is given by The Welsh Drama Society. Elin's work will be published by Cyhoeddiadau'r Stamp Publications immediately after the ceremony. It will be available to buy in pamphlet format at the Eisteddfod or from local bookshops across Wales. Owain Sparnon has created the artwork for the cover; he's local to the Eisteddfod area and was one judges in the main art awards this year. The first, second and third in the competition will have the opportunity to attend the Olwen Course at Canolfan Tŷ Newydd Writing Centre in memory of Olwen Dafydd, thanks to the Olwen Griffith Trust. Sign up for the North Wales Live newsletter sent twice daily to your inbox Find out what's happening near you
North Wales Live
28-05-2025
- Entertainment
- North Wales Live
Urdd Eisteddfod 2025: Second day winner announced
The winner of Drama Medal at the 2025 Eisteddfod yr Urdd Dur a Môr, Parc Margam a'r Fro, was announced yesterday (Tuesday May 27.) And the prize was won by Elin Undeg Williams from Betws Gwerfil Goch, Denbighshire It is exactly fifty years since the Eisteddfod yr Urdd Drama Medal was introduced as one of the main ceremonies - at Eisteddfod yr Urdd Llanelli in 1975. This year the competitors were required to write a play or monologue suitable for performance for any medium for no more than two actors, and no longer than 15 minutes. According to the judges, Heiddwen Tomos and Sêra Moore Williams, 14 plays were received in a 'very high standard' competition, with both judges 'very pleased with the promise and confidence show in all the plays.' Elin is 18 years old and studying Welsh, History and Religious Education at Ysgol Brynhyfryd. She plans on studying Law and Professional Welsh at Aberystwyth University in September. She is a keen member of Uwchaled Young Farmers Club and is looking forward to competing as a member of Aelwyd Llangwm at the Eisteddfod the end of the week. Elin would like to thank her teachers in the Welsh Language Department at Ysgol Brynhyfryd for being so supportive and thank her family for everything. The judges said: 'This is a timely play with clever dialogue around a difficult situation. From the first reading we both loved the play. There are special moments that really touch the heart. The writing is special and captivates the reader. "There is a real depth and understanding of characters that could easily be identified with. The message is gripping and the tenderness between the two characters sustains the play.' Second in the competition was Ffred Hayes from Cardiff, and Mali Grigg from Bangor in third place. Both are members of the latest Cwmni Theatr yr Urdd (Urdd's Youth Theatre Company) production Ceridwen. Elin will be given the opportunity to spend some time with Theatr Cymru and receive further training with the BBC. Elin received a special medal created by jeweller Rhiannon from Tregaron. The drama Medal is given by The Welsh Drama Society. Elin's work will be published by Cyhoeddiadau'r Stamp Publications immediately after the ceremony. It will be available to buy in pamphlet format at the Eisteddfod or from local bookshops across Wales. Owain Sparnon has created the artwork for the cover; he's local to the Eisteddfod area and was one judges in the main art awards this year. The first, second and third in the competition will have the opportunity to attend the Olwen Course at Canolfan Tŷ Newydd Writing Centre in memory of Olwen Dafydd, thanks to the Olwen Griffith Trust.
CNA
24-04-2025
- CNA
After nearly falling prey to a love scam, this tech-savvy Indonesian built a ‘sisterhood' safe space for survivors
Asia Helinsa Kaban started the Safe Dating Space network to help women wise up to swindlers on dating apps, and support love scam victims. The WhatsApp community has grown to over 500 members across Indonesia. JAKARTA: In hopes of finding her soulmate, Helinsa Kaban turned to a dating app three years ago and soon found a match. Their conversation shifted to WhatsApp, but Helinsa 'immediately felt something was off with this guy'. The man readily sent her a copy of his identity card – which she said was likely fake – in an effort to gain her trust. He also shared sob stories about his life, claiming to have been abandoned by his wife. 'It's impossible to just meet someone and immediately give your identity card. He was also dwelling on his sob story, saying that he was just divorced,' reasoned Helinsa, 30, who is also known as Elin. She conducted an image analysis of the man's profile photo and found out that it was likely stolen from a male model from the Philippines. A phone number search revealed the man was actually from Malaysia and had a completely different name. 'I immediately decided to end the relationship,' said Elin, a marketing manager at a tech company. While she was fortunate enough to avoid falling prey to a love scam, many other women in Indonesia have lost hundreds of millions in rupiah to such deceptive schemes. Determined to raise awareness about the issue, Elin established the Safe Dating Space community in November last year. The group has grown to over 500 members across the country, with the women ranging in age from 25 to 47. Operating through WhatsApp, the community provides a safe space to share tips on staying vigilant while fostering a sisterhood of love scam survivors. Her story is part of a series on everyday heroes on CNA's Bahasa Indonesia site. Others who have been featured include a man who rescues abandoned babies and set up a welfare home, as well as an animal lover who feeds and looks out for stray cats. Elin began exploring dating apps in 2022 after she decided to move on from her previous relationship, which lasted about 4.5 years. She soon realised that not everyone on these apps was truthful; some were outright scammers. After learning about various tactics employed in romance scams, Elin began sharing her experience on TikTok last year. Her posts drew a wave of comments, with many asking whether the men they had met on dating apps might be scammers. 'I received a lot of private messages asking 'is this guy a scammer or not?' I responded to some but I'm not on TikTok all the time. A few also shared that they had already fallen victim,' Elin said. The Safe Dating Space community offers a better platform to respond to these questions, she said. 'All the members are women, but not all are scam victims. Many of them joined just to learn about common scams and how to avoid them,' she said. Helinsa Kaban began exploring dating apps in 2022 after she decided to move on from her previous relationship, which lasted about 4.5 years. (Photo: Helinsa Kaban) Those interested can sign up through Instagram, but not all applicants will be immediately added to the WhatsApp channel as it takes time to verify each request. 'We also have to make sure the anti-scam group is not infiltrated by scammers themselves,' Elin explained. In the WhatsApp group, members regularly share about the scams they have encountered on dating apps and some report having lost substantial sums of money. 'Based on what I've gathered, total losses reported by members could be as high as 3 billion rupiah (US$178,014). Some women lost 250 million or even 300 million rupiah each. It's worrying,' said Elin. The group has helped save some of its members from being fleeced. For instance, a woman from Papua said she would have lost about two million rupiah had she not learned about scam tactics through the community. The woman thanked Elin for helping her avoid the loss, but to Elin, 'it's not about the amount (but) the fact that what I'm doing is making a difference to someone else'. While most interactions within the Safe Dating Space community happen online, the group has organised physical gatherings that have drawn dozens of participants. At least four in-person gatherings have been held, twice in Jakarta and once in Bandung and Palembang. Helinsa Kaban (second from left) with some members of the Safe Dating Space community at a physical meeting in Bandung. (Photo: Helinsa Kaban) While scammers tailor their tactics to each potential victim, often conducting profiling to determine the most effective method to use, Elin has observed some common ploys. One such method is what she calls the 'Lisbon and Macau' tactic, where perpetrators claim to have encountered trouble while on a work assignment in Lisbon or Macau, and say they urgently need money transfers. Another common scam tactic, she said, involves individuals impersonating military doctors allegedly assigned by the United Nations to conflict zones, or claiming to be professionals in industries like mining and oil. These scammers would claim they have bought something for the victims and request that funds be transferred to pay for taxes on the purchase. There are also many scammers who invite their victims to join online gambling games as well as business investments involving stocks and cryptocurrencies. 'They invite them to join trading and claim to be insiders who know when the prices (of stocks and crypto) are low,' said Elin. She and other members of the community have tried tracking a victim's transactions, which led to a scammer's crypto wallet. With experience in crypto sales, Elin said cryptocurrency transactions, such as for Bitcoin or Ethereum, are permanently stored on the blockchain and can be viewed by anyone with the crypto wallet address, although the owner's identity remains unknown. Elin's efforts to track down some perpetrators have led to the discovery that they are in Cambodia, a country in which online scam syndicates perpetrating love scams, online gambling operations and money laundering are known to operate. 'Based on the data we tracked, love scam operators are prevalent there (in Cambodia),' she said. With the combined experience of the community, Elin has become well-versed in ways to investigate whether one's match on dating apps is a scammer. One of the most effective ways, she said, is to analyse their profile pictures. 'We can do a reverse image search to find out who they really are,' Elin said, adding that community members would also help one another by doing online photo searches using various apps. In one instance, they discovered that a photo used was not of an Indonesian but someone from another country. Some would-be Romeos even used artificial intelligence (AI) during video calls. 'If you want to know if they are using AI or not, pay attention to how they sit (during the call). If they sit stiffly like they are staring at a laptop, it means they are using AI,' advised Elin. In such situations, Elin said 'being suspicious is necessary', especially if the photos and videos are 'too good to be true'. 'The world is not like a Cinderella story, we must be able to control ourselves and manage our expectations,' she said. Another scam tactic involves perpetrators sending photos of their daily activities, she said. Interestingly, photos of dragon fruit are commonly sent by scammers to their victims. Elin first learned about this after a member of the Safe Dating Space network shared a 'daily life' photo sent by a man on a dating app. One of the photos was of dragon fruit – presumably to give the impression that the sender leads a healthy lifestyle, she said. Screenshots of WhatsApp conversations in which scammers shared photos of dragon fruit. (Source: Helinsa Kaban) 'Other members (in the network) claimed that they had received the same photo and after I posted (about this trend) on my TikTok, many people started commenting that they received similar photos too.' Besides dragon fruit, scammers also commonly send photos taken at airports or in cars. 'It seems like although the scammers may be different, they have one shared database of photos and videos,' Elin said. Another tip, she said, is to pay attention to the pace of how a relationship develops. If the person appears to be rushing and excessively dwelling on their sadness, it is a 'red flag'. 'If you start seeing these signs, don't brush it off, just leave (the conversation) immediately. Don't be afraid, the heartbreak can heal in two or three days,' she said. 'SISTERHOOD' IN THE AGE OF DATING APPS The community has evolved into a support network, 'a sisterhood for single women navigating love and relationships, especially in the age of dating apps', said Elin. Through conversations with members, Elin has learnt that it is often older individuals who are most vulnerable to dating app scams. They could be single, previously married or single mothers. Many of them are longing for companionship or facing social pressure to settle down, and scammers are highly aware of their potential victims' emotional state, she said. The women are often financially stable, making them even more appealing as victims. '(The women) are more likely to be swayed by sweet talk,' Elin said, adding that the scammers would often use fake or AI-generated photos to appear more convincing. 'Some even go as far as sending flowers, buying coffee or surprising them with breakfast in an effort to win their trust,' she said. Scam victims are often blamed by the people around them, she said. 'They're shamed with words like 'You are old enough to know better' or blamed by their families. So many of them suffer in silence and some have even attempted suicide." This trend prompted her to create a separate support group for women who have been previously married or have survived domestic violence. Called Rise and Heal, it is a space for the women to offer one another emotional support, she said. While some of these victims have reported their cases to the police, Elin said there has been little or no follow-up. Looking ahead, Elin hopes the Safe Dating Space community will continue to grow and expand its efforts in educating people about love scams. She hopes to one day create a mobile application that serves as a safe space for women to share their experiences without judgment, and for mutual support as they search for a life partner, especially online. 'We are on this journey together. Stay cautious and stay positive,' Elin said. There have certainly been moments of joy in the community. 'When someone finds their soulmate, we all get very happy, the whole group gets emotional,' said Elin.
