Fake Dating Sites. Love is Blind, But You Shouldn’t Be

The online dating world has brought many great opportunities for people to engage with one another and find love, but also many dangers, and it’s one of the most controversial issues these days. In fact, according to the FBI, online romance scams reports tripled themselves during the years 2012-2016. ¹

Most people who go on dating sites are genuinely looking for love. 49% of dating platform users in the United States are looking for an exclusive partner, and 20% for a non-exclusive partner. ²

But when someone on a dating site isn’t who they say they are, the danger begins. One case could be that it’s a Catfish, motivated by reasons of boredom, loneliness, and revenge to someone. Even if they won’t ask for money, they can cause emotional damage. The bigger threat, however, are the online romance scammers that try to convince innocent people to send them money or credit card information, all in the name of love.

Dating sites can be great, and a splendid modern way to find love, meet people, and fight loneliness. Along with the known sites like match.com, there are a lot of fake dating sites that try to lure you in. You can easily avoid these by installing a security tool like Guardio which will protect you from such scams.

With caution in mind, you can benefit from all the dating sites have to offer and find true love or create friendships.

Here are five rules to follow to make sure you don’t get tied up in romantic scam:

1. Google the person, search them on social media. A real person should have some online presence. If they say they don’t because they are in the military or some secret service, don’t buy it. Stop talking to them immediately.

2. Once you find or receive pictures, use a reverse search tool like Google Images or Tineye. If you see the photo comes up on many sites, especially stock image sites, that’s one big, bright red flag.

3. Never, ever, wire money to someone you don’t know, and never give credit card information either. If you did, contact your credit card company immediately.

4. Beware of clickbait ads and pop-ups. It’s tempting to click on advertisements with beautiful people that promise to find love. Install a safety tool like Guardio to alert and protect you when something fishy or phishy comes up.

5. Did we say never wire money to someone you don’t know?

Share these tips with your loved ones to keep them safe.

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If you have any questions about online scams and threats, we’re more than happy to talk and assist. You can contact us at yourfriends@guard.io

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