Love Not Spared: Online Dating Scam

Online dating is attracting more and more singles. In fact, according to web measurement firm, comScore Media Metrix, about 26% of internet users or 39 million Americans visited online dating sites in December 2003. Both women and men have testified to its success, in terms of finding relationships. According to Online Dating Magazine (2007), more than 120,000 marriages a year are results of online dating.

But the internet is full of scams. According to CyberSource Corp. survey, about $239.1 million was lost because of internet fraud and scams. Online dating is not spared from it. It is one of the largest sources of revenue since 2008. It generated $957 million and expected to grow by 10% by 2013.

The increasing popularity of online dating services is not only good news for those who are looking second chances in love. It is also good news for scammers. Scammers would use legal sites and they would target unsuspecting users. There are different dating sites which provide warning signs to their users against scammers and those who are taking advantage.

Online dating sites usually have filters that would separate scammers from those who are real users. Unfortunately, it could not spot all scammers. Most of the sites would rely on their members and users for reporting cases and suspicious users. Also, scammers would ask for your instant messaging or regular email. They would lure you away from the site, so they would not be noticed by the site administrators.

It is very easy to make a fake identity and personal information. They could even steal other people’s identify and or account and use it to their benefit. They could even do scams and fraud in different sites, simultaneously. There are different signs, if the person you are talking to online, is a possible scammer.

• Communication is very difficult. They tend to repeat what they say and would make statements very difficult to understand and would frequently commit spelling and grammar mistakes.

• The photos show that the person you are talking to, look like just a model. Upon checking other profile photos, they look like they were cropped from some internet site or model. The scammer may have used other peoples’ pictures. Or they may even post a picture which is dark or blurred.

• They do not provide any home or personal address. All they provide is a post office address and even a phone number which they never answer nor does not have any voicemail.

• They would not even answer your questions. But they would willingly discuss things about themselves. They may be using standard emails and sending it to different people they are taking advantage of.

• They would share sob and sad stories. In the end, they would ask for help and project that you are the only person who can help them out with this problem. What happens is that, after helping them by sending them money, you will not be able to hear anything from them or again. In worst cases, they would come back and ask again and again for money.

Not all scammers would show their true colors immediately. For some, it would take about months or sometimes even years, before they start abusing or asking for money. Reporting the case to administrators is important, to protect their sites and other users. Never send money or continue with any kind of correspondence when they have already showed their true colors.