Protect Yourself from Online Dating Scammers and Losers
It’s a sad fact that there are scammers and losers in life wherever you are, not just in the internet dating world. But some people who are into online dating tend to be slightly more vulnerable. You can only know what the person you are dating chooses to reveal, you can’t know for sure that they are telling you the absolute truth. So how can you protect yourself from online dating scammers and losers?
To the best of their ability, most online dating websites put into place many security safeguards to help protect their members from possible scammers. As good as these safety measures may be, it is also up to you to work with them in abiding by all the rules and regulations.
One of the main rules of internet dating is that you should never give your true email address to anyone, especially in the early stages of dating. The online dating service you join will provide you with one and hide your real email address that you must give them at sign up.
Tip: When you are replying to an email from a potential date, or someone you’ve been conversing with for a short time, never do it by hitting the reply button. This may disclose your real email address. Instead, go to the dating website and reply from there.
When you are emailing your virtual date or partner, even if they seem to be the ‘real deal’, never disclose your home telephone number or your home address. It may be that they are not as “nice” as you think, and they may stalk or harass you if you try to break up with them. Some people can be O.K. until you do something they don’t want you to do! Don’t reveal your last name either, until you are absolutely sure that the person can be trusted.
Another thing you must not do is provide your credit card details, or offer to pay them money for anything, no matter how sincere they might sound. If anyone asks you for money or even hints that they need money, be on the alert immediately. This should raise big, red flags!
If they begin to harass you using your website email address, block contact with them immediately and report them to the website owners. The online dating site will be able to blacklist them and remove them from the website.
Sometimes online dating scammers will send you an email pretending to be from whatever website dating service you joined up with asking for money, or credit card details. Be sure to look at the blue address bar at the top of your browser and see if it has the name of the web-host on it. Even if you’re the slightest bit suspicious, it is a good idea to contact the internet dating service separately, and ask if they have emailed you. You can copy and paste the email you received and send it to them to check out.
By following these few precautions, you can begin to protect yourself from internet dating scammers. Unfortunately, online dating scams are an ever present danger that can lead to disasterous consequences. You owe it to yourself to be aware of the tricks they play!
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