The Complete Guide To Online Dating Scams
Finding someone you really like and click with in an instant via the myriad of dating apps available is not really that uncommon. And, given the number of people who frequent online dating sites and social networking sites to better their love lives, it’s not impossible to have a fairytale ending, just like how you’ve always dreamed it would be.
But have you considered the possibility that your honey may just be into you for the money? Online scammers have taken to infiltrating dating sites and are finding ways to make money out of these people who are desperate for love and companionship. Here are just some of the most common ways online dating scammers try to get to you in order to lay their grubby fingers on your hard-earned cash.
Check Some Of The Most Common Ways Online Dating Scammers
#1 Catfishing
This is one of the simplest ways to get someone’s trust and attention in the blink of an eye. Face it, as humans, appearances matter and on dating sites like Tinder, we tend to swipe right on those who look pleasing to the eye. Scammers were quick to catch on to this pattern and have now resorted to using other people’s pictures as their own, claiming to be the person in the picture. Many fake dating app accounts have been opened with images of good-looking male models or not-so-well-known actors in order to ensnare women in their web of lies and deceit, which is the quickest way to get money out of them.
#2 Love At First Sight Claims
Claiming that you love someone at first sight is one of the oldest tricks in the book. Lots of scammers target young women, usually those within the age range of 18 to 23 years of age as they fall fairly easily for the “love at first sight” sentiment. Besides that, they would also profess that their love for you is eternal and that they have been looking for a long-term relationship for a long time. Conveniently, they would claim that you are the right one for them and are their soulmate. Don’t fall for this.
#3 Tragic Backstory
A sickly relative, a child that needs medical care, an abusive wife, all of these stories we’ve heard before. These are nothing but ways for these irresponsible scammers to tug at your heartstrings, all the while plotting their next deceitful steps. Having a tragic backstory makes it easier for them to ask for a lump sum of cash to be transferred out to them. And, once you do make that transfer out of the goodness of your heart, your “love” and hard-earned cash would disappear without a trace.
#4 Deployed Out Of Town
Claiming to be a local resident but has been deployed out of town, that’s another one of the multitude of tricks in an online dating scammer’s bag. Lots of them claim to be US Military, serving in faraway bases, usually in Asia or any of the innumerable islands that we don’t hear about on a daily basis. In some other scams, these unscrupulous fraudsters claim that they are in a different country or state as they’re on a business trip. These are just tricks to throw you off their exact location, making it much harder for you to find them later.
Be wary of these tactics while swiping right for the right one. The last thing you need is to end up with no honey and no money. If you do suspect that some of the people you’ve met on OKCupid have been sounding like scammers, a Quick Background Search using an Email Lookup or even a Phone Number Search will uncover details of your potential matches, through a simple search of available public records.
Disclaimer:
The above is intended for informational purposes only and does not constitute a legal advice or specific recommendations in any way.
