Online dating has become quite popular among users from all generations in recent years. Especially during the pandemic, when it became difficult to go out and meet new people, most users chose to use online dating sites as an alternative.
With the sudden boost in the popularity of such apps, criminal activities on online dating apps have also increased substantially. Unfortunately, users of online dating apps are not very aware of such situations and end up facing losses due to scams.
Romance scams or financial frauds have been increasing with the spike in the number of users on dating apps. As these apps’ popularity grows, it is becoming easier for cybercriminals to blend in with the crowd.
According to ExpressVPN there are ways you can recognize if a person you are talking to on a dating app is trying to scam you. No matter what protective measures users might use to safeguard their devices, they are still prone to falling for scams, so it is essential to learn how to recognize and avoid them.
What Are Online Dating Scams?
Online dating scams or romance scams are a way for cybercriminals to extort money from unsuspecting victims. These scammers usually try to lure people by being charming and friendly. Later when they have built a sense of trust, they start asking for a small amount of money from their victims.
Some users also try to blackmail their victims by asking for explicit images and private information. Unfortunately, these scammers do not target people once; they tend to extort money from someone for as long as possible without raising suspicion from the other person.
Dangers Of Dating Apps
It goes without stating that online dating apps are dangerous. Multiple types of scams and crimes are common on such websites and applications. One of the most common threats on dating apps has to be catfishing. Catfishing can be emotionally hurtful for someone when they realize that the person they have been conversating with is not who they claim to be.
There have been cases of romance scams and military love scams on dating apps as well. Romance scams usually refer to fraudulent claims, where scammers try to trap someone by love-bombing them until they feel comfortable around them.
Once they are sure that a person trusts them, they will try to ask for monetary hello from them or try to get presents or luxury items. Some scammers also try to use medical emergencies as an excuse to get money.
How To Recognize Dating Scams And Fake Profiles
There are multiple reasons why people tend to gravitate toward scamming. Scammers usually try to target emotionally vulnerable people like single parents. Users fail to acknowledge that they can also fall prey to a scam, and no one is safe from such issues. There are multiple ways for users to spot a scammer on a dating app. So here are some ways to spot a scammer n a dating app.
First and foremost, avoid any profiles with no pictures and an incomplete bio. However, users must also be aware of a profile that looks perfect. Try to interact with people to gauge their behavior. If someone is constantly love-bombing you, you need to block them.
Try to avoid providing any personal information, including phone number and home address. Try only to reveal information about you that could not be of much use to the other person.
Keep your financial status and what you earn private. It is also common for scammers to target older people, so older people need to be more aware of accounts on dating apps as well. Most importantly, try to do a reverse image search so that you can find out if someone is using stock photos on their dating profile.
Conclusion
There are multiple reasons why people should avoid using dating apps excessively. If you are having a conversation with a lot of people on dating apps, chances are, you will end up getting scammed.
It is better to avoid suspicious accounts and not send money to anyone for any reason. Even if you trust the person, do not send them money. It is better to lose a potential connection than get scammed out of hard-earned money.
Featured image credit: by Tim Mossholder on Unsplash
