With well over 1,000 online dating sites, scammers are regularly trolling these sites looking for vulnerable victims. It’s imperative to remain vigil while looking for Prince Charming. If it sounds too good to be true, it just might be. Women should listen to their gut. Here are some precautions to take to help avoid online dating scams.
1. He asks for money.
There is absolutely no reason a man you just met online should be asking you for money. You will be given every sob story in the book, but remember that there are people who go online and make a living by scamming vulnerable woman looking for love. Keep your heart open but your wallet closed.
2. Keep local.
Maintaining local online relationships is safer than chatting with a guy who lives two hours away. It also means the two of you have more in common. If you can communicate about local restaurants, bars, theaters and shops, then you can assume you have similar tastes. You can also assume this guy is who he says he is.
“Don’t close yourself off from the
possibility of finding true love.”
3. Grammar is important.
This is not to stereotype, but if the man you’re conversing with says he was born and raised in the United States and constantly uses weird verbiage and phrases that most Americans don’t, it’s a red flag. He may be an overseas scammer looking for access to your bank account.
4. Don’t reveal personal information.
Until you meet someone and feel comfortable with him, never reveal where you work, where you live, your last name or any other personal information.
5. Stick to paying sites.
While there is no guarantee, using a site where the man has to enter a credit card number and pay a monthly fee means there will be less scammers to sift through.
If you’re suspicious of a possible Prince Charming, there are a few ways to protect yourself. You can upload the person’s profile pic on tineye.com and see where else the photo has appeared on the Internet — such as swiped from someone else’s Facebook page. Also, check out pigbusters.net and romancescams.org to see if this too-good-to-be-true prince has conned others. Don’t close yourself off from the possibility of finding true love. Just take precautions and protect yourself.
