The world is becoming a global village and love stories are stemming from the most unlikely places. People are now meeting their soulmates on the world wide web, but for some, the love story they anticipate always ends up with being scammed.
As much as dating sites have been connecting people who would have otherwise never met, you need to be careful when interacting with people on the site to avoid being a victim of dating site scams. Some of the things that should raise a red flag include:
Early declaration of love
So you have been chatting for only a few days, and your online day is already writing you long messages of how they are in love with you? As flattering as it sounds, you should really question their motives. People hardly fall in love that fast without knowing each other.
Almost perfect profile
Online profile photos and descriptions always vary depending on gender. However, most scammers want to project the image of perfection and they will most likely have a perfect profile with a good looking mugshot and a high paying job. Do due diligence by checking if the photo has been used anywhere else online.
Random emergencies and asking for money
You barely know them yet they show up in your conversation to tell you about the mother they have just lost, or their horrible boss who has just fired them, then they ask you for money to bail themselves out of a certain difficult situation. Think twice before sending any amount of money. Actually, the rule should be to never send money to someone you have never met.
Shifty about meeting or chatting on video
One of the ways of moving online dating forward is by scheduling for a meeting or having a video call. Online scammers in dating sites will never allow you to see them since they most likely misrepresented themselves.
Asks for conversation outside the site too soon
If you have just started chatting and your potential lover immediately asks if you can email or text outside the platform, you should be very careful. Some of them do it to avoid being reported for scam in the dating site.
Advances stereotypes
If their stories seem copied from a script, like a poor African who cannot afford internet but would really love to know you more, or a European soldier who would love to hear your voice but they are not allowed phones, it is probably a lie.