Common Dating Scams Online

• Regardless of who you are speaking to online you never truly know who they really are.
• If they seem too perfect, they probably are
• Online dating is kinda like buying clothes, they always fit better in the store than when you get home. Think twice before committing.
• Your safety should be above all else.
• When you meet for the first time, meet in a very public place.

Dating scams online are a common thing these days. Meeting different people and enjoying each others company makes life exciting. However, technology has once again found a way to make things easier and more exciting. Technology moves dating from meeting people randomly in restaurants and bars to meeting people online. Unfortunately, the cyberspace has also become the breeding ground con-men. Apparently, scammers find people who are looking for love as a source of income.

If you are one of those people who are fond of online dating, be sure not to let your defenses down—even though you have found a person who is extremely hot and has met every item on your checklist. Losing large amounts of money while you are on a quest for love is not romantic. If you do not want to be a victim, you have to watch out for the dating scams. You might think you have found the love of your life through online dating—and congratulations if it is real!—but it will not hurt if you observe the necessary precautions against it.

Based on various online dating safety guides, the following characters are most likely involved in one of the dating scams online.

You might think, “This is it! This is the one!” Hold on, sister. Are you sure he is the real thing? This also applies to men of course. However, according to an article, of all the men found in online dating sites, one-third of them are married. This one-third is capable of performing common dating scams online since they are good at disguising their identity. Generally, these too-good-to-be-true indicators make your dreamy date a candidate for a crook:

• His or her profile photo looks like a glam shot from a magazine

• He or she is a businessperson living abroad

• He or she is an American travelling the world

• His or her highly impressive profile has contradicting information. Here is an example. His profile says that he is 30 years old, but it also states that he has been practicing law for 20 years. If that does not seem fishy to you, you have to consider staying away from online dating because you will be a likely target of common scams.

Long distance relationships are normal in the online dating world. It is all good. You can still make a connection even though you are miles away because you can still reach each other within seconds inside the cyberspace. However, you have to be on guard when your soul mate from miles away starts asking for money. You are most likely a target of a criminal’s dating scam.

The most common online scams work from many angles. He or she can come up with many situations and circumstances that are convincing enough to persuade you to give money. Some of these situations are even heartbreaking. Some stories are so dramatic that they can be made into a Hollywood film.

Your long distance lover will most likely involve you in one of these scams if he or she present you with the following situations and then asks for your money:

• He or she wants to visit you but has no money for airfare.

• He or she wants to see you but has no money to process Visa fees.

• He or she has no money for both airfare and Visa fees.

• There is a last-minute problem, and he or she needs additional fees to proceed with the Visa application

• He or she wants to talk to you or see you every day but does not have the money to get an Internet connection. This is one of the favorite tricks that is widespread in third-world countries.

Another scam to watch out for is the emergency victim. You seem to hit it off great with this “date.” You have the same interests. You even have great chemistry. This scammer will take his or her time. He or she will reel you in, making his or her carefully constructed profile and insanely good looks as bait. You will have no idea that you are in one of the common dating scams until it is too late.

How does this scam work? Your “date” will come up with an emergency to make him or her look like a person in dire need of help. Some of the emergencies that turn out to be a complete lie are the following:

• Accidents

• Sickness

• Hospitalized relatives

• Domestic tragedies such as fires or house robbery

• National calamities such as tsunamis, typhoons, and earthquakes

Cyber criminals make the said scams seem so real that they can fool their victims into compliance. It is hard to identify the truth when you are already deeply involved with the scammer. The wise thing to do is never to place your trust on people you only meet online. There is always a possibility of false identity.

This is another smoke screen. The scammer’s modus operandi is similar to that of the emergency victim. Only this time, the scammer is stranded in a distant country and will need your help to get out. According to a website that gives out tips for a safe online dating, the most common dating scams online are found in Nigeria and Ghana. Therefore, if your date happens to be mysteriously stranded in those places, he or she is most likely a naughty person who wants your money!

To be safe, you can choose to avoid entertaining people who live in third world counties or who indicate in their profiles that they are always traveling. It is true that not all of the people who fit these descriptions are automatically involved with various common dating scams online. However, this is a sacrifice worth taking if you value your safety.