3
Online Dating Scams
In some ways online dating is safer than traditional
dating, but there are scammers and con men operating
both offline and online. Part of the solution is knowledge.
Here are three online dating scams to watch out for.
If you know about them you are much less likely to be
taken in by them.
Money Laundering
This relies on the scammer having built up a relationship
with the innocent single. In reality the scammer is
trying to build up as many relationships with members
of singles services as possible.
His or her purpose is then to ask you to set up a
bank account that he or she can wire money to. There
may be various plausible explanations given for this,
such as a difficulty in processing money in his or her
own country.
Once set up, money will pour into the account and the
innocent single will then be asked to withdraw the money
and send it back to the perpetrator.
There are many variations of this dating scam.
Accident Scenario
Again, this one relies on a relationship having been
built up with the innocent single. The scammer posing
as a legitimate single will then ask to meet the innocent
single and a meeting is arranged.
On the day of the meeting a third person will contact
the innocent single to say that his or her intended
date has had an accident. Money is urgently needed for
hospital treatment/ to get the person to hospital/ to
pay for some other high expense.
Such scams depend upon the innocent single caring about
the person they have formed a relationship with.
Business Proposal
Again the scammer must get to know his or her victim.
This scam may move offline into a real world dating
relationship before the scammer makes his or her move
-- this relationship may not even have begun on the
net.
A business proposal is made. The scammer claims to
have invested large amounts already and will convince
the victim that large profits are to be had. The victim
parts with his or her money and the scammer runs off
with it.
Many Variations
No doubt there are many variations of the above dating
scams online and off, as well as others we have not
covered here (see our page Internet
Dating Scams and How to Avoid Them for more). Russian
and Nigerian dating scams are probably the most prevalent,
but Ghana, Kazan, Filipina and Lagos scams have been
known to be operating. In fact no country is free from
scammers, and not only in online dating by any means.
What they all have in common is that sooner or later
and in some circumstances or other they will ask you
for money. They may make it look as if your money is
safe -- but if you give your money to anyone you have
not known for years and whose friends and family are
unknown to you, then you are taking a huge risk with
your hard-earned income. The perpetrator may put you
in a crisis situation where you don't have much time
to think, as with the Accident Scenario above.
|
Browse
the PenPalsPlanet Dating Profiles:
