How to Spot an Online Dating Scammer

Online dating scams are rife. Anyone can be targeted. You do not have to be rich and you do not have to be stupid. You just have to be looking for love, a search that causes you to be more vulnerable than usual. And love is the tool scammers use to pry open your bank account and strip you of your assets. By learning how to spot a scammer, you can protect yourself.

IT IS IMPORTANT TO ASK THE PERSON TO CONNECT THROUGH SKYPE SO THAT HE/SHE CAN BE IDENTIFIED AND IF NOT ASK THAT HE/SHE CREATE AN ACCOUNT

1

Note any age difference in which you are the older one. Online dating scammers usually target people older than themselves. In the case of a male scammer, they often target middle aged women in their 50's to 60's. They believe these people to be ideal targets as they are usually richer and more vulnerable.

2

Look for the following descriptions in their profile:

self employed, a professional (for example, an engineer) working overseas

a widower with a child (or just widowed)

they claim to live near you, in your country, currently away but will be returning soon

.3

Do a photo check. Save a copy of their profile picture. Use Google image search. Check the results. Are they already marked up as scammers or is the return illegitimate in some way? Report to the dating site giving the evidence, including any

4Check other photos you receive. Look for signs that don't seem to gel with who you understand this person to be. For example, check the background, landscapes and even clocks or calendars. Can you see identifying features that do not match with the picture this person has built up of themselves website links.

5

Note discrepancies that are a dead giveaway. For example:

They say they have been away, yet their profile shows them online (most likely chatting up some other victim online).

The profile shows geographic inconsistencies, often referencing places that are not in geographic proximity to where they live