4 Ways To Spot A Romance Scammer Online
In this day and age, where social media and the Internet, in general, have experienced a massive boom since the turn of the 21st century, people need to have a keener eye when surfing through the web. Publishing information online has been made easier and while this is good in some aspects, this also provides an opportunity for people who have ill intentions and those who want to take advantage of others for their own gain. Let’s be honest, since the start of the pandemic, many people have experienced loneliness and a sense of isolation to some degree. While lonely hearts have turned to online dating to fill this gap, some people have turned this into a way to make a quick buck by scamming people on dating apps and websites. Here are four ways how to spot a romance scammer online.
4. Too Good To Be True
Romance scammers typically use stock photos of models for their profiles. Most of these pictures are shot with exceptional quality and in photoshoot-like conditions. Their profile also has limited photos one can browse on and most of the time, their occupation or line of work is from another country. Excuses such as military deployment or other reasons will be brought up in order to justify being in a different country or location in general.
3. Moving To Another App
Scammers would tend to take the conversation away from dating sites where safety and data privacy rules are stricter. They would most likely ask you to chat on Instagram and Facebook. Also, communicating via text and hopping on platforms such as WhatsApp which has a “disappearing message” feature is another favorite for romance scammers.
2. Confesses Quickly
In order to win the affection of their victims as soon as possible, romance scammers would confess immediately once the opportunity presents itself. Not long after, these fraudsters would most probably ask for money and gifts from the lonely hearts they are able to lure. While this might be an obvious trick, a number of emotionally vulnerable people can be potentially victimized by this strategy.
1. Not Agreeing To Calls And Meet Ups
And lastly, romance scammers will avoid showing their personal features as much as possible. They will not disclose any information that might be used against them if they are caught. While some may engage in voice calls with their victims in order to establish a sense of fake trust, these tricksters would rather not share anything that might put them on the hot seat in the long run. While some may just be shy or value their privacy, it’s a big warning sign if your match still refuses to go on calls after a long time of communicating with each other.
By Neil Gregorio
Neil Gregorio is a graduating university student who writes as a hobby; when he is away from the keyboard, he spends his time watching Japanese animated shows and jamming out to his favorite rock music.
LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/neil-gregorio/
Portfolio: https://www.clippings.me/neilgregorio
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