Common Signs of an Online Dating Scam
When you join a dating site, you may want to find a matching profile that indicates they are a good person and their lifestyle and preferences are quite similar to yours. When the dating site informs you about a matching profile, you may browse through their pictures and profile description and then start chatting with them. You may hit it off and start thinking of happy days together. But what if you find out at this point that the person was a scammer?
Over 3,700 people reported online romance scams to ACCC (Australian Competition and Consumer Commission) in 2020. While not every user on such dating sites is trying to deceive you, make sure you are careful about who to trust.
Of course, a private investigator can assist you in gathering evidence if you are scammed, but it’s better to take preventive measures and understand the major red flags that can warn you about scammers.
They Have a Perfect Personality
It’s possible the dating site algorithm would match your profile with someone who shares your interests, but if the profile seems like it was tailor-made to match yours then your gut feeling might be true.
No one is perfect, so if you connect with a person who has everything someone can dream of then it may be too good to be true. For instance, they may be really handsome, have a good dressing sense, have a good job or run a business, and often post pictures of luxury houses and cars to boast about their wealth.
Make sure you are careful and wisely choose an online date.
Limited Digital Footprint
When dating sites send you a notification about matching profiles, you may scroll through their shared images to determine what kind of a person they are. It’s a good idea to turn to Google to obtain further information through their digital footprint.
This way, you may find their profiles on other social sites and professional networking platforms that can guide you about their interests, social circle, and profession. However, if not much information is available about them, then you should think twice before contacting them.
A common red flag is when their dating site profile has limited information. Also, you may notice they only post random landscape images instead of personal pictures.
They Are Always Busy When You Ask to Meet Face-to-Face
After chatting with such fake profiles for a few days, you may ask them to meet in person but they would come up with excuses every time. They may claim they are too busy with their job, a family member got ill or injured, or they need to travel for business reasons.
Furthermore, they would never be available for video chats and have many excuses to avoid face-to-face calls. Sometimes, their phone would malfunction and other times they may be too busy to attend your call.
They Confess Feelings Early On
The purpose of joining dating sites is to find a good match, but be careful when you hear a confession of true feelings from someone you recently started talking to.
Scammers avoid face-to-face meetings; however, they are quick to confess. They may propose after a few chats though they never met you in person.
Furthermore, they rush you into taking the conversation away from the dating site. Since dating sites take measures to maintain the privacy of users and save them from potential scammers, these scammers manipulate their targets to chat through instant messages, social media, or emails where it’s easier to deceive others.
Talking about Financials is Common for Them
To deceive others, scammers tend to flaunt wealth and boast about their monthly income. They may claim they work with a reputable company and earn well even when you don’t ask them about their income.
Moreover, they may enquire about your financial position soon after the introduction. Through this tactic, they want to decide whether you are financially stable and evaluate if you are worth the scamming efforts.
It Usually Leads to Monetary Scams
Scammers usually register on dating sites for two major reasons: to steal money from others by deceiving them or steal their personal information to commit identity theft.
They may first earn your trust by talking sweetly and may sound sincere too. But once you trust them, they would ask you for money by lying about their situation. They may claim there’s a family emergency or that they are stuck in another city and got scammed which is why they can’t return home.
Also, another warning sign is that they may live far away from your place and ask you for money saying that they want to meet you in person but are currently short on cash and promise to return the amount soon.
They Make You Feel Guilty When You Get Suspicious
Being a smart person, you may think twice before sending money. Similarly, you may get suspicious when you notice warning signs. But if you confront them or ask them to share genuine personal information and personal pictures then they would easily get offended. They may guilt trip you for suspecting their sincere feelings.
How PIs Assist Clients with Online Dating Enquiries
When it comes to online dating, you may have many questions such as:
• Did they lie about their personal life and are pretending to be someone else?
• Are they after my money?
• Did they hide their former relationships?
• Were they ever involved in violent crimes and domestic abuse?
• Can I trust them?
When you have these questions and don’t know how to find answers, then a private investigation firm can help. They can conduct an in-depth investigation to bring you the information so you can make informed decisions.
For this purpose, investigators use surveillance techniques as well as use covert devices to collect reliable information about your date. The investigation report would provide insights into whether they hid critical information from you.
You can talk to our experienced team to learn more about our Online Dating Enquiry services.
