Toxic “Gold Mining Test” dating trends set only single men

More and more people in the dating world are reporting an unsettling new phenomenon called the “Gold Digger Test” – a intentional situation where a person accidentally makes the other party’s financial intention unexpectedly makes them pay or set traps to see if they are more interested in the money than a real connection.

Georgina*, 27, from Melbourne, recalls a bizarre experience of her recent date.

She told news.com.au. “I dated a man and everything was fine.

But one night he invited me out for a casual frozen yogurt date. He was anxious to pay him when I was still anxious to drizzle my middle. I was shocked. I had to pay for my clumsiness awkwardly, and later I wandered again while he was wandering beside me. We were by my side.

“He has a great job, so to be honest, I’m weird to do it with $6 yogurt.

Her experience is far from unique. In social media and dating forums, more and more people are sharing similar stories.

A 29-year-old woman details her disturbing experience on Reddit.

Founded by a mutual friend, she met a 31-year-old man in a cafe.

“It actually started very well,” she wrote. “We had a lot of conversations in common and I felt positive. But when the $100 check arrived, the tone changed.”

She was about to separate the bill, but handed it to the full amount and asked, “If you pay for it, is that okay?”

She said she was caught off guard, but she agreed.

She recalled, “After I paid, he smiled and said, ‘Congratulations, you passed the test! You are not an excavator.’

When she investigated the comment, he admitted that he had been burned to death by an ex who expected him to have every bill.

Now he “tests” women to make sure he doesn’t follow his money.

Feminized sexual and relationship expert Christine Rafe believes this trend is a symptom of a broader cultural shift.

She explained: “The rise of the ‘gold mining test’ reflects the gender gap and growing speech on social media, while the ‘alpha male podcast’ shows that heterosexual women only want to be socially, financially and physically attractive “top 10%.”

“This unfounded theory is popularized by Andrew Tate and his followers, encouraging men to doubt women’s intentions, keeping financial expectations “by making women pay for dates or lying to see if they remain interested. This will keep them interested. This will get even more serious. This will get even worse. Adding online the Internet is a return to the modern gender deception, especially the deception of modern gender, especially the return of modern gender deception.”

Georgina believes that dating app culture plays a role.

“I guess some men have multiple dates with different women a week, and that adds up. The date days are slowly, and the investment time is almost gone. So even if a man makes money, if he pays every day, it’s a few hundred dollars a week,” she said.

As the cost of living rises, some people simply don’t want to cover every bill.

Choosi Swipe Right Report supports this and found that Australians aged 18-49 spend an average of $158 a day, with an estimated $233 for men and $101 for women.

Three quarters (74%) of consent dates are much more expensive than before.

Despite these pressures, Raf warns that financial “tests” are manipulative and impair trust.

“These actions encourage lying and domination from the very beginning,” she said.

“When one sets a trap to see if another person will ‘pass’, they are sure that distrust can undermine emotional intimacy and connection.”

She stressed that healthy relationships are built on open communication and these “tests” will undermine the relationship.

She explains that there are healthier ways to involve financial expectations, such as asking about hobbies, lifestyles, travel plans, values ​​and how everyone tends to handle bills and share fees.

“These conversations can make it clearer about someone’s expectations without manipulation or testing,” she said.

She also encourages self-reflection. “If you are concerned about your expectations or motivation for dating, explore them through treatment or journals to understand your perception of status and money and what a healthy relationship looks like,” she advises.

“When discussing these topics, share your vulnerabilities instead of projecting insecurity onto your date.”

If you find yourself “testing” someone’s motivation even before a meeting, she says you should reflect on whether this suspicion comes from your own experience or from unreliable sources.

And if you have been setting a date for someone to be dishonest “test” or “trap”, treat it as a sign of their emotional immaturity and inability to communicate publicly, and move on.