Online dating scams are unfortunately still prevalent in the online dating world, affecting thousands of people around the world. While online dating is becoming an increasingly popular way to meet new people and start relationships, it’s no secret that the internet is home to some deceptive people that will use pretty much any means to take advantage of others and get what they want. If you want to use online dating sites and apps to meet new people, here’s how to spot some of the most common online dating scams today. 

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Asking for Money:

If you are looking to get back into dating after Covid, the last thing that you’d be doing is asking the people that you meet online for money – and the same goes for any other genuine, interested people. Somebody who is actually interested in dating you isn’t going to ask you for money when you have just met and barely know one another. While it’s common for couples who are established to help one another out financially, the difference here is that this is somebody you’ve just met online. If somebody is asking you for money on an online dating site, the best thing to do is report them. 

Few Pictures:

The photos that somebody uploads to their online dating profile can say a lot about them, including clues as to whether or not they are a scammer. If you are talking to somebody who only has one blurry photo or hasn’t uploaded any photos of themselves, this could be a red flag. In some cases, the photo that is uploaded by the profile might look too good to be true – in which case they could have swiped a stock photo from a site to pretend to be somebody that they are not. In either case, it’s a good idea to conduct a reverse image search on their photos to see if they have come from genuine sources to protect from dating app scams. 

Expressing Feelings Quickly:

While lots of people will really get on and perhaps even fancy the people that they meet at an online dating service quite quickly, it’s another thing for somebody to be declaring strong feelings or even love for you after just a couple of conversations. While love at first sight can certainly happen and lots of people have fallen in love after weeks or meetings, it’s important to guard your feelings before you’ve even met somebody in person and take things slow until you have built up some trust. 

Putting Off Meeting Up:

While the COVID19 pandemic might have been a genuine excuse to not meet an online date in person for the past few months, restrictions are beginning to lift and with a vaccine in place, in-person dates are once again possible. The goal of online dating is to find somebody you like and get off the site as soon as possible, so if somebody continues to put off meeting up with you, it’s important to be wary. 

While online dating can be a great way to start a relationship, don’t be fooled by these common scams.