The Bad Side to Online Dating and Scams

By Jonathan Safen

With the online dating industry growing more in success, both for operators and for users, online dating scams are popping up left and right. You need to get ready for the online dating world by always using common sense and by reading up on the online fraudsters from time to time. Protect your time and cash by always keeping up to date about the online scams. You should also keep your heart safe too.

To start with people that are pretending to be interested in your dating profile can scam you online. You should be wary of anyone that wants to meet straight away because it ought to take a few weeks of online chat and phone calls before meeting another person is even an option to be considered. When you do meet someone, do not leave your personal belongings alone with him or her at any time. This is an easy way for them to steal your credit card or other personal information and you may not notice these things are missing for a few days. Also be aware of people who send you links. Do not click on a link without first knowing what it is and never download any software on your computer that others users are sending you or have in their profiles. These are often some type of spy ware programs that can steal information from your computer like your passwords and credit card information.

The second type of online scam is done not by the online dater, but by the online dating service. The problem here is often the same. An online dating operator that is not well known and has only recently been established , could steal your credit card details or other personal data for their use. These businesses because they are online can disappear easily without a trace and it may be a long time before your money is found if it is at all. Always read the terms and conditions before you sign up to be sure that there is no article that gives them authorization to sell your email address or use your personal data in any way.

Finally, you need to be worried if an online dater should ask you to cash money orders, online users have been scammed into cashing these checks and wiring the cash to a person who claims to be in another nation unable to cash money orders. These money orders are usually "washed" which means that they were purchased for a small amount of money and then altered. You will eventually get caught and it is not possible to prove that another person altered the money orders and you will be responsible for what is in actual fact a crime.

The online scams can put a real strain on online dating but if you are clever, you should not have any troubles. You need to care for yourself by not providing too much personal data and by staying out of financial matters. - 31991

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