Meta: You have found your Mr. or Ms. right online. Fantastic, but it would be better to check for signs to detect and avoid an online dating scam!
How to Detect and Avoid Online Dating Scams 5 Signs to Red Flags!
Recently revealed by a survey of UK Finance, two in five people who have been involved in online dating were asked for money.
It does not mean that we prevent you from finding your Mr. or Mrs. Right on the Internet, but you had better be careful not to fall for a romance scam and end up with a broken heart and a loss of money at the same time.
Here are 5 signs of spot-on online scams!
How to detect dating scams?
#1. The profile is vague and has model-like photos.
When someone tries to match you on dating apps, the very first step is to scan their profile before starting a conversation.
Catfish scams have very little profile information, so you can never find any trace of them online. They try to overwhelm you with attractive pictures that look like top models or celebrities.
In fact, you can do a reverse search for pictures on the Internet to find out if they are glamor stock photos or have been used elsewhere. What’s more, you can hire private investigators to do some background checks! The investigators have professional skills to gather information on infidelity.
#2. Scammers use it to cultivate long-distance relationships.
Most scams tailor stories and excuses to make it challenging to meet you in real life. For example, they claim to work, live in another country, or be on military deployment.
They promise to go back and meet you someday. Then, they ask for money to buy flight tickets or send foreign gifts to you.
#3. The discussion becomes romantic very quickly.
Be aware of sweet-talkers who confess to loving you in a very short period of time.
Those scammers instantly gush over you with compliments and say they have a special, deep connection to you and that they have never felt this way about anyone else.
Here are some common scamming approaches:
● The scammers repeat endearing terms like "darling," "sweetheart," or "love of my life."
● They profess their passion and even ask you to marry them.
● Their messages are poetic and, in fact, meaningless, and could be copied and pasted into any discussion.
#4. Scammers ask a lot about your personal details.
The more information they have about you, the more easily scammers can manipulate you.
To build trust, catfishers will spin a tale about themselves and encourage you to share your own story. As you two become closer, they will ask for your phone number, email address, social media accounts, etc.
#5. The conversation ends with financial help.
The ultimate goal of online romance scams is to take money from you. Thus, they invent many scenarios—here, to name a few:
● Making up a soap opera life and asking for help to overcome family tragedies, major accidents, or health problems
● Sending you a package as a gift and requesting that you pay fees.
● Planning to visit you, and thus lending you money to buy tickets.
How to avoid dating scams?
Above are some common scamming approaches you need to know. In any case, you should take note of some principles to protect yourself:
● Use trusted dating websites.
● Search for their image profile before matching someone.
● Never share your personal details and contacts.
● Avoid clicking on strange links.
● Don’t send or receive money.
● Trust your gut if something feels strange.
● Report a scam to seek help with fraud.
Final thoughts
We hope you will find real love online. Or even when you are unlucky and entangled in a scam, you should be strong and stop communication immediately.
In case you've already lost your money, you can hire a private investigator to investigate the scammers and find evidence to get your money back!