How to Spot a Scammer on a Dating Site?

Romantic relationships are a very delicate thing that requires a lot of effort and carefulness. It’s very easy to lose your head when you meet someone “special.” However, you should always keep your eyes open if you don’t want to become a victim of a dating scammer. Far from all dating platforms can protect their users from being catfished. And the thing that you have never faced jump4love scam doesn’t guarantee that you will not run into it on some other dating platform. How can you spot a scammer when online dating?

1. Unwillingness to have a video chat

Most online dating scammers live not in the USA, so if you are communicating with a fraudster from these countries, then your interlocutor will avoid phone calls and video chats because the accent will immediately make it clear who you are dealing with.

Although scammers can imitate the accent of the country specified in the profile, and even in this case, they will always avoid video chat, as the profile contains fake photos. Be especially careful with those who don’t want to communicate via video because of a “broken” webcam. Most modern smartphones have a built-in selfie camera, which makes arranging video chat relatively easy. Some people may avoid the video chat because of shyness; however, if the person you are talking to says love words but doesn’t want to communicate through the video, then you are most likely dealing with a scammer.

2. Request for financial assistance

Since the ultimate goal of most scammers is money, you will inevitably receive relevant requests. Scenarios can be different: unforeseen family circumstances, health problems, or travel difficulties. Particularly creative scammers may wish to send you a parcel and say that you need money for customs duties. Typically, fraudsters do not work alone, and, accordingly, one of the accomplices can call or send documents simulating a request for payment. Sometimes you may be asked for financial assistance or investing in a fictitious business. If the interlocutor asks for financial assistance, or similar requests come from a third party (as in the case of a parcel or business), most likely, you are dealing with a fraudster.

3. Request for assistance with financial transactions

One of the new schemes of online dating scam is not associated with a request for financial assistance but involvement in money laundering. For example, a scammer sends money to a victim, and in return, requests to send an Amazon card or any other gift certificate. Alternative scenario: they may send money to you and ask you to send the funds received to another account. Sometimes you may be asked to open a bank account. If the interlocutor is trying to involve you in similar financial affairs and exchanges, most likely, the scammer is trying to make you an accomplice in illegal fraud.

4. Sending links to another service or site

Some cybercriminals do not engage in traditional scam schemes, but they use more effective methods that are especially appropriate in online dating applications, where bot profiles prevail. The interlocutor sends you a link to the application, game, service, or website “for trial” to force you to provide financial information or download malware. A similar strategy is very common in applications like Tinder.

If you have noticed one or more of the above-mentioned signs, and you cannot verify the identity of the person you are talking to, then you should better stop talking immediately. Besides, you should pay attention to the protection of your personal data as a whole, which will allow you to protect yourself not only from online dating scammers but also from other criminal elements in general.