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In 2016 alone, almost 15,000 people were scammed out of more than $230 million in various romance scams. Pennsylvania even ranked in the top five states with the highest number of victims. With these types of online dating scams on the rise, the best way to protect yourself is to learn how the scams work, who’s at risk, and warning signs of a scam. Get all the information you need about online dating scams in this guide!
Read more about other common scams in Part 1 & 2 of our series.
Types of online dating scams
Scammers create profiles on online dating websites. They seek out matches and start building a relationship. Once they have charmed you or formed an emotional bond, they ask for money. If you send money, it is next to impossible to get it back.
Another type of scam relies on extortion. The scammer sends you a link to a website where they have posted your private information and conversations. To remove the content, you must pay them money.
Who’s at risk?
Anyone who uses online dating sites could be contacted by potential scammers. They may seem trustworthy and will play to your emotions. There have been a few studies about what demographic, gender, and personality traits may put people at more risk. This study found that the majority of victims were females between the ages of 35 and 54. They tended to have addictive personalities, were impulsive, and easily placed trust in others.
Even if none of the above traits apply to you, you should still be careful. Keep an eye out for these major warning signs.
Online dating scam warning signs
- The person asks to communicate via phone or email instead of on the dating website.
Why? Dating websites have got pretty good at identifying problematic behavior on their site. The scammers don’t want to be ousted and lose their membership. You will also be less likely to report the scam directly to the dating website if you moved away from the website to talk. - They try to appear rich.
They want to appear desirable. One way to do this is to show success via wealth. Their photos may show fancy cars or houses. This also may trick you into believing they can afford to pay you back once they ask for a loan. - Their messages are full of spelling mistakes and unusual phrases.
Many online dating scammers are from foreign countries. English isn’t their first language, so mistakes are common. Keep an eye out for messages that contain grammatical errors and weird sentence structures. - They can never meet you in person.
The scammer wants time to build up a relationship with you, but they can’t meet you in person. They likely don’t live nearby and that would give away the game. So, every time you schedule a time to meet, they will cancel. - They claim that they are in love with you quickly.
If your suitor wants to move fast emotionally, this could be a warning sign. Scammers want you to be invested in the relationship. To do this, they profess their love for you fast and without meeting you in person. - They ask for money.
If your suitor ever asks for money, this is a huge red flag. It doesn’t matter why they need the money. They will definitely have a good excuse. They will definitely promise to pay you back. But don’t send them money! This is a clear sign that it’s a scam.It’s also important to never buy them expensive gifts or pay for their travel arrangements. Some scammers may ask for gifts instead of money, but that doesn’t make it any less illegal.
Report online dating scams to:
- The dating website you met the scammer
- The Federal Trade Commission
- The FBI’s Internet Crime Complaint Center
The FTC created this helpful infographic on online dating scams. Take a look!
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Source: Federal Trade Commission
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