Toxic gold digger test dating trend only sets single men up to fail, expert warns

A growing number of people in the dating world are reporting a troubling new phenomenon known as ‘gold digger tests’ — deliberate situations where one person gauges the other’s financial intentions by unexpectedly making them pay or setting traps to see if they’re more interested in money than a genuine connection.Georgina*, 27, from Melbourne, recalls a bizarre experience on a recent date.“I’d been on a few dates with a guy and things were going okay.He’d cover dinner, I’d grab drinks,” she tells news.com.au.“But one evening, he invited me out for a casual frozen yogurt date.

When it came time to weigh the yogurts, he rushed ahead to pay for his while I was still mid-chocolate drizzle.I was shocked, having to awkwardly weigh and pay for mine just moments later, while he hovered next to me.

We ate in silence.He acted like nothing had happened and kept asking me out after that.“He has a good job, so it was honestly so strange to me to do that over a $6 yogurt.Her experience is far from unique.

Across social media and dating forums, more people are sharing similar stories.One 29-year-old woman detailed her unsettling encounter on Reddit.Set up by a mutual friend, she met a 31-year-old man at a cafe.“It actually started really well,” she wrote.“We had a lot in common, great conversation, and I was feeling positive.

But when the $100 check arrived, the tone shifted.”She was prepared to split the bill, but was instead handed the entire amount and asked, “Is it alright if you pay for this?”She said she was caught off guard but, unbothered by the amount, she agreed.“Right after I paid, he grinned and said, ‘Congratulations, you passed the test! You’re not a gold digger,’” she recalled.When she probed him about this comment, he admitted he’d been burned before by an ex who expected him to foot every bill.Now, he “tests” women to ensure they’re not after his money.Christine Rafe, sex and relationship expert for Woman...