Recognize Online Dating Scam Artists

Using online dating to search for your soul mate is a very easy thing, but frankly speaking, there are many people are not honest with their use of online dating sites. You may find people who are looking for money, are already married or even possibly meeting a sociopath. There are signs you can look for to have an idea if a person you a communicating with online is a dating scammer.

One of the biggest tip-offs that can show you that someone is a dating scammer is if they start talking about money right away. Some scammers may try to be subtle about their requests for money, waiting until you have gone on a few dates before coming up with a sob story why they need the money. There may be an extremely small percentage that may be truthful about their need for money, but it's a good rule of thumb that if an online dater starts asking for money, then they are most likely a dating scam artist.

Not all dating scams involve money, as there can be married men and women on dating sites like Match.com and eHarmony that are looking to find a little action on the side.  Luckily there is a dedicated site for these people (Ashley Madison) so this problem is a little less common on the traditional dating sites. However, when you find these people on Match.com or eHarmony, you’ll likely find that these scammers aren't big into sharing a lot of personal facts about themselves and they may also want to hurry into a physical relationship. The big clue that you have met a married person who wants to date on the side is that they never want to take you to their home. Other signs of dating a married person include: someone who screens your phone calls, acting nervous in public, and never meeting their friends or family when out on a date. The best way to figure out if someone is married is by asking the questions about their personal life. If they are reluctant to talk about it or their story keeps changing, there’s a chance that you are dating a scammer.

Finally, there is a very small subset of people who are on online dating sites that are sociopaths. Sadly, there’s no great way to tell if the person you’re dating is a sociopath until it’s too late.  However, there are a few ways to protect yourself.  There are a handful of websites that provide background checks on people (e.g: Chnlove.com), which is useful to do before going out on a first date.  In addition, never meet an online date at a private location until you feel comfortable with who they are.

There are many ways to find love with online dating sites, as more and more people are meeting their spouses online. Just be sure to be on guard as there are a small number of people who are looking to scam you. Hopefully these tips help you to identify dating scammers and will help you have an enjoyable and safe online dating experience.

Help out your fellow online daters by adding any other tips in the comments section below!