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on Tuesday, March 9th, 2010 |
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Safer Online Dating
With the rise of people’s busy-ness nowadays, it’s easy to say that we don’t have enough time to go out and actually meet people and date them. And now, with the advent of technological advancements, we have online dating. This is where people can talk to each other via chat or email, post their profiles and check each other out even when they are just too tired to go out of the house or living continents away. It’s very cost efficient too (you don’t have to spend for transportation, expensive restaurant meals and there are lots of free online dating sites), and that is why it’s a hard chance to pass.
However, since a lot of people can flock to these free dating sites, there are many scams that may come with it. To arm yourself against these scams, here are some easy signs that you’re scammed and some tips for safer online dating:
When Money is Asked. Of course this is the best and the foremost sign that you’re probably engaging into a scam. It’s just basically WRONG to ask people for money if you’ve never met them in person. At first they will woo you and then tell you about an emergency or if you can send money so they can come and visit you.
Everything emailed. The online scammers in most online sites will exploit the zero cost that they can avail from it and will want to proceed talking to you via email. And get this: email alone. They won’t give you a phone number, an address or even a social networking account. Also, most likely, if they have scammed lots of people in these free dating sites, they might be banned ASAP too. So they’d want to bag you as soon as they can. Additional tip for safer online dating: don’t give out a lot of personal information.
Fake Pictures. Look at the pictures closely. Some amateur scammers will just cut or scan already printed photos from print commercials or magazines. Some also steal other people’s photos and claim it as their own. And boy, they always look good in their profiles! So be instinctive. If you feel there is something suspicious, it might be a fake.
Those are the three top tips in mingling with strangers…and yes, especially the could-be scammers from most online dating sites.
With the rise of people’s busy-ness nowadays, it’s easy to say that we don’t have enough time to go out and actually meet people and date them. And now, with the advent of technological advancements, we have online dating. This is where people can talk to each other via chat or email, post their profiles and check each other out even when they are just too tired to go out of the house or living continents away. It’s very cost efficient too (you don’t have to spend for transportation, expensive restaurant meals and there are lots of free online dating sites), and that is why it’s so convenient.
However, since a lot of people can flock to these free dating sites, there are many scams that may come with it. To arm yourself against these scams, here are some easy signs that you’re scammed and some tips for safer online dating:
- When you’re asked for money. Of course, this is the best and the foremost sign that you’re probably engaging in a scam. It’s just basically WRONG to ask people for money if you’ve never met them in person. At first, they will woo you and then tell you about an emergency or if you can send money so they can come and visit you.
- Everything is through email. The online scammers in most online sites will exploit the zero cost that they can avail from it and will want to proceed talking to you via email. And get this: email alone. They won’t give you a phone number, an address or even a social networking account. Also, most likely, if they have scammed lots of people in these free dating sites, they might be banned ASAP too. So they’d want to bag you as soon as they can. Additional tip for safer online dating: don’t give out a lot of personal information.
- Fake Pictures. Look at the pictures closely. Some amateur scammers will just cut or scan already printed photos from print commercials or magazines. Some also steal other people’s photos and claim it as their own. And boy, they always look good in their profiles! So be instinctive. If you feel there is something suspicious, it might be a fake.
Those are the three top tips in mingling with strangers…and yes, especially the could-be scammers from online dating sites.
