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Avoid Getting Tricked While Dating OnlineBy Amanda Willis
The computer is fantastic for many things in life, and this includes anonymity. You never really know who you're talking to until you know. Yeah, it sounds a little like Yogi Berra's logic, but it's the truth. Take for instance the world of online dating. Many a-lonely heart has been foiled and trampled on by scammers and their never-ending quest to steal personal information, get some easy money, and even simply just to inflict your computer with a virus for spite. So, if you really want to give online dating a go but don't want to be fooled by some scammer, let's run over some common sense rules to avoid being tricked! Let's start it out with the most common sense rule in the world: Models aren't looking for love online! Sure, maybe you would find one in one-hundred-thousand truly picture-perfect knockouts using an online dating site, but the odds are well against it. If a person's photo looks like it was professionally shot, that's not necessarily a red flag. But if the person looks more like an actor or model from a magazine, and only has one photo available, then you know it's probably a scammer with some fake account. Tie this first common sense rule into the second: Profile details. How thorough is this person's profile? A real person looking for love online will have no trouble taking the necessary time to correctly fill out a profile. Use these two examples of dating headlines as a gauge. Real person: "Hi. I'm just a normal, everyday girl trying something new and taking it one step at a time." Scammer: "Whaddup, guys!" Some scammers are good, however, and will pirate average-looking photos from social sites and actually take the time to fill out a convincing profile. This is when you need to keep common sense rule number-three in mind: Correspondence. How do you communicate with this person? Is this person sending you a return message like clockwork? Are the details vague and always avoiding personal details? Is the conversation all about them and their issues and not really about you? Are they asking you to click some link to visit a page? Watch for these things. If the correspondence is working like this, you may well have a scammer on your hands. The last common sense rule is common sense itself. If you're trying to get to know this person, yet he or she is refusing to give any real details about who they are, then it's a safe bet that something's wrong. Heck, even if it's not a scammer, you probably don't want to get involved with someone who is so aloof. Also, keep in mind that there are many ways in which you can find out if someone's who they say they are. For example, if you've known this person for a week or so and have traded messages, proceed to the next step and talk on the phone, show up on webcam, etc. You can't really judge a person by photo and text. There's just no way to tell unless you really get to know the person. Always be skeptical-without being cynical-and use common sense.
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