Do not become one of these numbers. If you are dating online, take precautions to get yourself protected. There are several things, which you need to keep in mind to help you in spotting and avoiding scammers in online dating sites.
Know if you are at risk
Anyone can be the victim and target of these scams, from young to old, from gay to straight, from men to women, from Asian to Hispanic, and from white to black, among others. There is no off limits. However, it has been stated by the FBI that divorced, disabled, over 40, and widowed women are the main targets of fraudsters. If you fall into this category, you need to be particularly aware of people whom you may be meeting through online dating sites. Online dating can be hard for women, and fraudsters will only be adding to the problem, so you need to be vigilant when you are planning to meet new people.
Warning signs on profile
The online dating profiles of scammers may exhibit some clear signs that something is off. You only have to know what to look for. Most of the scammers are selecting victims that are older than them. If someone who is essentially much younger than you say that they have interest in you, you may be facing some problems. It is also a fact that just because someone is younger does not mean that he/she is a scammer. It is only something that you need to keep in mind. Also, these fraudsters are usually listing themselves as widowed, most especially with a child, working oversees, or self-employed. They might also say that they are living near you, but they are actually away.
In addition, you can also be given a clue if you are talking to a scammer based on the photos used. If someone sends you are messages saying that they would like to know you, save a copy of their image and use the reverse image search from Google to see if anyone has posted about that photo being use for a fraud. If it shows up on other profiles has different names, you need to be extra careful.
Communicative issues
Even though there are lots of fraudsters in online dating across the globe, but an essential number of them come from non-English-first-language countries, and this means that there can be communicative markers determining that your suitor is not who they say they are. If their profile says that they have lived in Ohio their whole life, but they are using non-standard English, or poor grammar, which is very notable, it could be a warning sign.
Always not being able to meet
Even if they say that they are living near you, they will say that they are out of two and wonโt be able to meet. They may even be setting up a time to meet and say that they have been held up by something else.
As soon as they ask for money or financial information, you need to immediately stop meeting or talking to him/her. These tips will be a great help to spot online dating fraudsters, and thus, you can avoid them in the earliest stage.
Read also : ย How to Spot an Online Dating Scammer
Or ย 7 Ways to Spot a Phony on an Online Dating Site
