Loneliness is a terrible feeling. Everyone wants to love and be loved. How many times have you found Prince Сharming, but some have problems with love affairs. For example, a long-term relationship does not lead to marriage, or after a long marriage a divorce happens. Here’s what the statistics say: The chances that a marriage will end in divorce is probably somewhere between 42 and 45 percent. While it’s lower than the reported 50%, it’s still a very scary number.
So after an unsuccessful relationship, or after a long search for love, the question arises: what to do next?
If you find yourself asking this question, then online dating could be the logical next step. Online dating is just about being “ready for anything”. There are millions of singles registered on dating sites, chatting platforms, groups in social networks, and so on. Despite the popularity, few people recognize that online contact can be dangerous.
To date, the number of romance scam victims is frightening. Victims in the US and Canada have reported losing nearly $1 billion over the last three years, and BBB estimates there may be more than a million victims in the U.S. alone.
Such scams are also the most dangerous since many predators pray on your feelings and emotions. Not only can you lose money but also become disappointed in love, and in people. It’s enough to cause a nervous breakdown and more severe consequences.
Also, there can be a situation when such action goes beyond the online dating scam, and turns into physical violence, which can lead to health problems and even death.
Before embarking on any online dating website, remember that safety comes first. These useful secrets on how to avoid dating scams, is a great place to start.
Keep personal information in secret
This is the most effective method. Take for the habit of not sharing your personal details even with “friends”.
- First and foremost, do not disclose information about your home address, bank accounts, credit cards, passport details, essential documents, the amount of jewelry and cash saved at home. Scammers can use such information for the sake of material gain.
- Secondly, do not share content that can be used against you. For example, photo or video material of an intimate or criminal nature, various provocative elements and so on. Scammers use this type of content for blackmail.
- Finally, do not give your phone number, email address and access to social networks to untrustworthy people. Through such data, it will be easier for scammers to contact you and cause some harm. These 3 points alone can keep you safe from scams, and online predators.
Do a quick investigation
In our time, it is easy enough to find out specific information about a person because it is in public access. The main thing is to know where to search. Imagine that you are a spy or detective conducting an investigation.
- You can use, for example, Google Image Search. Just take a photo from potential scammers’ account and upload it to this app. Then you may find the nature of this picture, other pages where this photo was published and so on. Perhaps you will find some inconsistencies or the real owner of this photo. Remember, if you found a profile with a different name on the network, but with the same photo, then maybe you’re on the hook of a scammer.
- Also, if you have a phone number from a dating site, you can use reverse phone number search to lookup some interesting data. With them, you can find an email address, location, social media profiles, and even criminal records by the phone number of the owner.
Such data won’t be superfluous during an acquaintance with a new person. Moreover, forewarned is forearmed. If you have secret information – it will be more difficult to deceive you or lie to you.
Pay attention to the manner of correspondence
You can learn a lot from a person in the process of communication. You can also figure out a deceiver. You need to pay attention to any little things and worrying questions; signs. These tiny details can become a red flag for you.
- Your date in question, with great interest, asks you about your career, financial position, the quantity of material benefits. But not interested in your inner world. (Thus, scammers will find out if they can take advantage from you.)
- The person does not wish to tell details about himself and avoids answering personal questions. (This is typical for the fraudster because the less you know about him, the less chance to determine his identity.)
- The person avoids phone conversations, video chats and meetings in life. By the way, it is also better for you to avoid personal meetings, because the online dating scam can grow into even physical violence.
- A large number of grammatical and lexical errors. (It may indicate that either a person does not know the language well or is in a hurry to finish the scam faster.)
Also, perhaps you will receive a lot of compliments and flattery from the scammer. (He does this to get into trust, make contact, give you hope for love and lull your vigilance.)
If you notice something from this list in correspondence with your online friend, it’s better to end the communication and look for love elsewhere.
Do not be afraid to lose an online friend;
Risking a dangerous situation is not worth losing an online lover that is really a scam artist. Do not forget that you are not alone, and you can always consult a good friend or relative. Tell your relatives about your Internet contact or suspicious messages, in this case, you shouldn’t remain silent.
Unfortunately, scammers can now be found everywhere. And there is a lot of wishers to play with your feelings. If you cannot find love online and you only come across the scammers and deceivers, then maybe you are looking in the wrong place. Most important of all, listen to your intuition, and combined with this advice you’ll avoid becoming the victim of a scammer.