6 Tips To Spot Romance Scams Easily in Online Senior Dating
Computers and the internet have been in homes for many years now. Which means that the average senior citizen is now more computer savvy than ever before. Seniors love that they can go online and keep in touch with their family with a couple of mouse clicks. But they also enjoy the fact that they can make new friends, too. Looking for love and companionship is not something that we stop doing at a certain age. And it could even be possible that the desire for both gets a little stronger as we get older. It’s no real surprise then that dating sites for seniors are now so popular.
Dating sites are everywhere now, from our desktop PC’s to apps installed on our smartphones. The great thing about the proliferation of online dating sites is that there now seems to be something for everyone. If you are looking for a farmer, you can get that online. And if you are more into people of the same sex, no problem. Over the age of 60 and looking for love? Then there are also many different senior dating sites over 60 out there for you, too.
Before you get online and sign up for a senior dating site, it’s always a good idea to do a little research to find the safest and suitable one. We should also note, though, that even when you do that, you are still going to potentially run into scammers. As cruel as it may seem, there are people who go onto these sites with the purpose of money. And they are especially common on dating sites where seniors go to find love. After all, the feeling is that people over 60 may have more disposable income and may perhaps not be as savvy when it comes to these types of scams. We want you to be safe when you go onto senior dating sites. This is why we are out to help you in any way we can.
Tips That Will Help You Spot Online Dating Scammers
The one thing you need to know about online dating site scammers is that they all tend to follow a pretty similar mode of operation. It’s bad news that they are on these sites at all, but good news that they are relatively easy to spot if you know what to look for. Listed below are some tips that should help you weed out the scammers before they can get their hooks into you.
1. Make Google Your Friend
The average online dating profile actually contains a lot of useful information. You can use it wisely to verify them by using Google. You can start by searching the name of the person that contacted you. If they are legitimate, you may well find them on other dating sites and social media websites. If they have provide you an email address to communicate, search that, too. Use a reverse image search to see if their profile picture is actually theirs or if it has been copied and pasted from another source, such as a stock photo website. There are also some sites that fight for scammers like this. They will post confirmed scammer pictures, emails etc. Just use google wisely. It may feel a little strange and creepy to perform this sort of background check on someone you have never met, but it can help you quickly identify a scammer.
2. Beware of Off-site Requests
Online dating sites makes it easy for you to talk to people you match with without needing to get off the site. They offer up email, texting, and other forms of chat, all of which can be done within your members area. If you get someone trying to initiate contact outside of the site options way too soon, that could be a warning. Online dating sites are getting much better at spotting potential scammers, which is why those bad eggs try to lure you off the safety of those pages.
3. Grammar Checker
While not always the case, scammers tend to originate from countries other than the one that you live in. If you are contacted by a person who stays in the same region as you, claims to be from your country, yet who cannot form a proper sentence, that could be a sign that they are from somewhere other than where they claim to be from. A missed comma or the occasional misspelled word could be a typo, but full sentences and paragraphs in broken English are not. It has been approved that most scammers are from places like Nigeria, Ghana.
4. Only One Photo
Scammers will often pluck an image from a stock photo site to be used on an online dating profile. If they only post a single image on their profile page, that could be a problem. We all have access to countless photos of ourselves, so finding more than one good one shouldn’t really be an issue. Don’t fall for tales they tell of being camera shy or only having a single image that they like.
5. No Specifics Given
An online dating profile can be completely filled out yet still very vague. When you are chatting with someone, ask for more specific details about their life. And try to get them to expand on the details they have on their profile page. If they try to change the conversation or simply don’t give any details, chances are they are out to scam you.
6. Never Send Out Money
It is only a matter of time before scammers ask for money. The most common request is to help fix a car so that that they can finally come and meet you. Requests for money for a plane or bus ticket are also common, as are requests for cash to help out with some family emergency. Never send money to anyone on an online dating site.
In Conclusion
It does not mean that you have to give up online dating because of scammers. It is indeed the most effective way to find the possible one for you. It might be great help if you keep these tips in mind. There is a very good chance that you will not run into a scammer on an online dating site. But you need to be prepared, just in case you do. Try use the right attidude toward online dating scam. Following the tips outlined above will help you stay safe online and increase your chances of meeting the genuine match.