Don't Take It From Us...

Online Dating IconWhen it comes to advice about online dating scams, you could listen to OnGuardOnline.gov. We have advice to help you protect yourself and your money.

But why not go straight to the source, too? Many online dating sites now offer really practical advice on how to avoid relationship scams. Here’s a sample:

“DON’T ever send money to someone you meet online, especially by wire transfer. Scammers often insist that people wire money, especially overseas, because it’s nearly impossible to reverse the transaction or trace the money.”
-Match.com

“If someone asks you for money, for whatever reason, do not do so and please, report the situation to us via the “Report a Concern” button. If somebody is asking you, they may be asking others, and your report can help protect other members.”
-JDate/Spark Networks

“Watch out for someone who immediately requests to talk or chat on an outside email or messaging service. Watch out for someone who reports a sudden personal crisis and pressures you to provide financial assistance.”
-eHarmony

These dating sites don’t want you to be scammed, and neither does OnGuardOnline.gov. They want you to meet a real someone, not a con artist hiding behind a bogus profile. Following the advice on these dating sites is a great place to start!

Comments

I have been scammed byb a man named Karl, claims he was in Benin for business and professed his love right away, asked for money a couple of weeks into it, then he started asking for money, and it was one situation after another, today he emailed me to tell me that he had been robbed, stabbed and had beeen in the hospital, I knew what was to come next he would have asked for money. Typical textbook scammer. I started wising up and looking at online dating scams. Met him on Chemistry.com, they claims they are not responsible but did give me my money back. we mainly cahtted thru yahoo messenger, he has a account listed as Karl, very handsome man, born in Germany, educated in England, claims mother lived in Lawrenceville, NJ also claimed have been divorced for 4 years and has a 9 year old daughter. He claimed not to have a facebook page but I found one he just started the week before one using spokeo.com and it was his picture. I emailed all of his friends this morning on their and now it has disappeared. He knows I am on to him and I am going to do what I can to get my money back and have this jerk dealt with. If you have suggestions on what to do please let me know and I also have pictures. I have notifed yahoo, and will send to every dating website if I have to. Please reply if you want to see pictures or have suggestions.

Yes, this certainly sounds like a "textbook scammer." The scam has many of the elements we often see: leaving the dating site to chat somewhere else, professing love right away, asking for money, and then asking for more money. To post your comment, I removed some of the personal details (like email addresses and full names), but if you'd like to file an official complaint you can do so at www.ftc.gov/complaint.

I am trying to fix some things that were messed up but it get"s to be ridiculous at times and unnecessary when you cannot even trust the government people and technology.

That certainly sounds like a terrible ordeal that you went through, be more careful and always keep your guard up.

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