Online Dating Scams Are you joining online dating sites in the hope of meeting someone interesting enough to be your partner for life? Well, you might be happy to know that a number of online romances actually ended up in the altar. However, you should also be aware that the internet is also a thriving ground for low-life and scammers who are out there to take unfair advantage of you. For all you know, they may even be in the very same dating sites that you are using so beware – online dating scams are real.
While it is very much possible that you will meet your perfect mate by joining one or more online dating sites, there is also a great possibility that you’ll meet someone who is just out there to scam you out of your hard earned dollars. So, how do you spot them from the rest of the people who are genuinely looking for lasting relationships? How can you protect yourself from falling prey to such shady personalities? That’s exactly what we’ll explore in today’s post.
Watch Out for These Warning Signs
To know which people to avoid, please take note of these early warning signs.
Be wary of someone who uses extremely gorgeous photos. Scammers are very much aware that people easily trust someone who looks absolutely stunning so they use photos of other people and pass them off as their own. To make sure you are dealing with a legitimate person, use the power of the internet to check out if your potential date is actually who he (or she) claims to be and it’s not in fact one of the many online dating scams.
source: watchforscams.com
You can use websites such as tineye.com to see if the photos appeared elsewhere in the web. From there, you will have a fairly good idea if you are dealing with the right person. Remember, if he (or she) looks a little too good to be true, he (or she) probably is.
Watch out for people who don’t have a good command of the English language. Experts say that most scammers originate from West Africa and the former Soviet Republic so you need to pay particular attention to any language peculiarities. If you are dealing with someone who doesn’t have a good command of the English language or often commits glaring spelling and grammar mistakes, it pays to check him (or her) out a little closer in case it’s an online dating scam.
Be cautious if you are communicating with someone who is on a relatively remote location or is assigned overseas. Most scammers will claim that they live in the same state but are currently doing volunteer work or are assigned overseas. Some will pose themselves as missionaries or soldiers who need monetary help so that they can come back home safely. It’s merely a trap so don’t fall for it.
Be wary of someone who has a sob story tell. Some scammers come armed with a sob story. They may tell you that they recently lost a loved one or have a relative who is terminally ill. As such, they will greatly appreciate any help that you can offer. They may even tell you that they have been mugged, lost their luggage or their credit card had been declined while they are on their way to visit you. Let me say this again – don’t fall for such ploys. These people just want to scam you into giving them your hard-earned money.
Take the Necessary Precautions
To avoid being scammed, here are some suggestions you may want to consider:
- Never reveal any personal information. Even if you think you are falling in love with someone you met in an online dating site, do not reveal any personal information – especially if you haven’t met him (or her) in person yet.
- Stay local. Pursuing long distance relationships can be a lot riskier than communicating with someone who is right there in your local area. Remember, scammers use distance to elude prosecution.
- Dial him (or her) up. To check whether your potential mate is exactly who he (or she) claims to be, try calling him (or her) up.
- Check if he (or she) has already scammed someone. If he (or she) did, there is a great chance that it will show up in sites such as pigbusters.net and romancescams.org. Do your research to be on the safe side.
- Report any online dating scams or suspicious behavior. If you noticed any suspicious behavior, don’t hesitate to report it to the Federal Trade Commission. Do it not only to protect yourself – do it to protect others who may not be as well-informed as you are.
You have the power to protect yourself against being scammed. All it needs it due diligence on your part and you can easily spot the bad egg from the lot. Be extra observant when dealing with people you meet in online dating sites and you can expect to keep scammers off your list!
Hope these have been of some help,
Billy Baker
