It Is OK To Meet Online Friends But Be On The Lookout For Dating Site Scammers
By meliavis | December 25, 2009
In some ways, it is easier to find friends online now than it is to find and make new friends offline.
There are countless ways to meet online friends to include multi-player game sites, commenting on blogs, hooking up via twitter, and visiting matchmaking and friend finder sites.
Matchmaking sites have been around for about as long as the Internet. However, this is very much a case of buyer beware. Not everybody on these sites is looking for a love relationship or a new friend.
Many times you will find scammers and con artists who are just looking for easy prey.
That doesn’t mean you can’t use these sites to meet online friends, it just means you have to know what to be on guard for and to always be vigilant as many of these scammers are very experienced and tricky.
Rule #1 is the most important. Scammers are after your money. If a person on one of these sites ever asks for cash, end the relationship right then and there.
Dating scammers often leave a few other clues that you should be aware of.
One of the first clues comes from the scammer’s email address. The email address will often contain a username similar to their registered dating site username, so be on the lookout for this clue.
The next common sign of a dating site scammer can be determined from their username.
Stay away from people who use love related names as their username. Common examples are ‘luv’ or ‘love’ or ‘real’ in combination with names like ‘John’ or ‘Jane.’
One of the other tell-tale signs of a scammer can also be found in their profile description. These include users who live in a country or region known for scamming – places like Nigeria and Russia -or they will claim to be born in the USA, London or Canada and are now living in Nigeria or Russia.
Such scammers will often tell you that they are real, honest, sincere, loving, caring and genuine. Sometimes they will tell you a heart-breaking story about their life.
Many scammers will also use a professional looking photo.
The first message a scammer sends you will most likely seem canned, and it will be very similar in many ways to those you have probably already received and gotten used to in junk emails.
If you believe someone is trying to pull one over on you, you can report the scammer to the dating site operator, you can ignore them, or you can join a site that provides information and background checks on people and find out for yourself. It is also important to use only those sites which respect your privacy, for example http://www.matchalot.com, as such sites do not ever require you to give up any personal information and will always allow you to make new friends on your own terms and conditions.
Remember, the Internet offers unlimited possibilities to make friends online. If you actively search, you will find friends who share your interests. Good luck, have fun and most of all be very, very careful!
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Originally posted 2009-01-30 13:15:06.
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- Free vs Paid Online Dating Services
- 7 Things You Should Not Do When Dating Online
- 7 Things You Should Do When Dating Online
- Is Online Dating For You After A Divorce?
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