With the usage of online dating apps and social media platforms on the rise, there’s no doubt why the number of online romance scams has been skyrocketing with every passing year.
Although your cyber partner may assure you how much they love you, this conversation always seems to end with money. It can be slightly hard to detect a scammer if you’re new to the online dating world, however, you can always take the help of a professional who uses the latest software to identify and reveal a scammer to you.
Whether you live in Brisbane or any other part of the world, you can learn a lot about SM investigations from the best investigators in Australia, get more on this site.
In this article, we will discuss some red flags to watch out for to save you from excessive trouble down the line. Keep reading!
Signs of a Romance Scammer
1. Romance Scammers Will Quickly Declare Love to You
Even if it has just been a week talking to them, they won’t waste any more time to profess love to you.
They will sound extremely sweet, loving, caring, and genuine to you whereas the reality is completely the opposite. All of these tactics are to start getting financial benefit from you as soon as possible.
2. Scammers Will Never Meet You in Real Life
Romance scammers will try their best to keep their real identity hidden from you. That’s why they will always find excuses to cancel your upcoming meet-up plan. For instance, they will tell you they can’t meet you because:
- They live abroad
- They are in the military
- They work in a mine
- …Or there was an “emergency” at the very last moment
Basically, lies like these will become a norm and you will never be able to meet them.
3. Romance Scammers will ask you for Money
After some time, they will start with their actual mission, which is emptying your wallet. They will ask you for money for some reasons like:
- They need airfare to visit you
- Their mother is very sick in the hospital
- They need to pay off a debt
- They need to save their small business from loss
All of these reasons will be usually accompanied by emotional blackmailing as you consider them your “true love” and would do anything to save them from distress.
Tips to Avoid Romance Scammers
If you’re thinking of online dating and taking the risk, you should also know how to outsmart a romance scammer in case you encounter one. Read below.
Try to verify their identity. This may sound like a cliché but you can try your best to spot a scammer for the first time. You can search their name on other social media sites and go through their personal information. You can even search their profile picture on Google images to verify the authenticity of their picture.
Never send them money. Romance scammers usually ask for money from sources like wire transfers or gift cards to keep their identity hidden, thus, you should never send them money and cut off ties if they ask you for some.
Ask for advice from your friend or family member. You may be blinded by “love”, but not your loved ones. If at some point in your conversation, you get a gut feeling that their intentions are not true, you can always ask for sincere advice from your close ones.
