Dating Scammers Also Get Acquainted Online: Be Attentive

Dating scammers do their best to reach people who are seeking romantic partners to take advantage of them. The cheaters register on dating websites, join social media communities and download applications to be one step closer to their goal. In addition, they use emotional triggers to make you share money, give presents, or provide personal details. Hence, if you decide to find a foreigner for marriage, you should discover more about dating scammers and how to protect yourself.

How Does Scam Work?

Dating websites and applications are the favorite places for marriage cheaters. Usually, a scammer registers an account, creates a profile with a fictional name and other personal details. Most of them pretend to be military personnel, professionals working abroad, aid workers, etc. Scammers aim to create an image of a person who you can trust and do not suspect anything.

A romance scammer will start to express feelings and emotions in a very short period. Step by step, you are ready to move to another platform (email, phone, instant messaging) to chat there. It means the scammer managed to make your communication more personal. Overseas suitors say they are from Australia, working or traveling abroad.  

Dating scammers try to do everything to gain your trust and interest.  They often say loving words, share personal data, and even send presents. Online cheaters spend weeks or even months building romance like in popular books and films. Then, they talk about booking tickets and arranging personal meetings at last. Once your defenses are down, dating scammers start acting more seriously. They ask for money, gifts, or credit card details. Often, cheaters aim to take your videos or pictures of intimate nature.

Romance scammers say that some of their relatives or friends require urgent medical assistance and ask you to send money due to business problems or bad luck. Another way to get money from you is to say that the ticket is too expensive; hence some funds are necessary to cover flights to see you. Also, cheaters may send some valuable items to you (laptop, mobile phone, etc.) and ask to resend them somewhere. All in all, you risk being involved in the ingenious artifice.

What are the Signs of an Online Dating Scammer?

The first sign of any dating scammer is a fast progression of feelings and emotions. Simply put, the person starts to say loving words almost at once after you get acquainted.  For the second, the profile of a dating cheater is not consistent with the information that you hear. For instance, the person says that the native country is the USA, while the messages are full of mistakes. Moreover, their messages go quickly from introduction to love. Dating scammers never keep their promises; they always have the reason why they can’t meet you right now or need money urgently.

How Do You Outsmart a Romance Scammer?

According to Federal Trade Commission, romance scams reached a record $304 million in 2020. If you are not eager to be the next victim of dating scammers, you should learn to protect yourself. First of all, you should not send any money until you meet in person. Besides, follow these rules:

1.Be careful and do not entrust a stranger completely. Keep an eye on warning tips which we have mentioned above.

2.Perform an image search. This way, you can understand whether you are dealing with a real person or not. The most popular tools are TinEye and  Google.

3.Watch grammar and spelling mistakes. Check whether profile information is similar to the facts that the person tells you during communication.

4.Think twice before sending any photos or videos. Mind that romance scammers always use this material for blackmailing the targets.

5.Prefer a reliable place. If you meet a stranger, choose a safe public place and leave the address to your friends or relatives.  

6.Create account wisely. Think about what information you are sharing in social networking profiles, and do not overdo it. Scammers often use this data to simplify the way to your heart.

7.Report supporting system. Most trustworthy dating sites like VictoriyaClub encourage visitors to report suspicious users so that they can remove their profiles. This way, you will not care only about your safety by diminishing risks for other community users.

8.Get in touch with your bank. If you sent money or shared banking details with a scammer, contact the bank employees at once. Maybe there is a chance to improve the situation.

9.Do not hide. Spread the word with other members of a dating community, your friends, and everybody who risks becoming the victim of a particular dating scammer.

Final Word

Dating scamming may greatly spoil your online experience, but it doesn’t mean that meeting a suitable person on the Internet is impossible. You just need to keep in mind the above-mentioned tips to stay safe. First, select only reliable dating websites, and then enjoy communication with the same-minded people.