How to avoid romance scams
THEY say love is blind, but falling for an online romance scammer can leave you with a broken heart — and an empty bank account. What are romance scams?
A romance scam (or online dating scam) is when a fraudster tricks someone into a fake romantic relationship. Typically, a scammer adopts a fake online identity to gain their victim’s trust, with the goal of getting money or enough personal information to steal their identity.
Who are the targets of online dating scams?
Anyone can be the target of an online dating scam. However, scammers tend to target older individuals (over 50), women, or people who have recently gotten divorced or lost a partner. The ideal victim for romance scammers is someone potentially vulnerable or lonely.
Tips on how to outsmart a romance scammer so you can date safely online:
Stay where the conversation started. Avoid leaving a dating site or app until you’re ready or you’ve met in person. It is also best to stick to reputable, well-known services to avoid ending up on a dangerous site.
Don’t assume the person is safe. Romance scammers like to set up fake profiles on dating websites and apps to lure victims in.
Look them up online. Cross-check online profiles with a quick search of their name to see what pops up.
Do an image search. Use Google to run a reverse-image search of their profile picture and photos to see if their images show up somewhere else with different information.
Keep your guard up. Be wary of overly complimentary messages. Run them through a search engine to see if they appear as known scripts on any romance scam sites.
Take your time. Ask lots of questions and look for inconsistent answers. If someone wants to commit immediately or move too quickly, you may be dealing with a scammer.
Get a second opinion. Ask a friend or family member for advice if you’re unsure about someone. A second pair of eyes can help you spot scams.
Do not trust unknown links or downloads. Scammers sometimes keep malicious links in their bios or send malware in messages. Avoid clicking suspicious links, especially if they’re irrelevant to your conversation.
Do not send money. No matter what the scammer’s story is, never send money to someone you’ve never met. This includes sharing personal information or account details such as your password. – avast.com