General Tips for Spotting Scammers
To spot scammers, look out for signs like overly perfect profiles with unrealistic photos, a rapid progression of affection (“love bombing”), requests for money or financial information, avoiding video calls, inconsistent stories, claiming to live far away, pushing to move conversations off the website, and having very little verifiable information about themselves online.
Key Red Flags to Watch For
- Too good to be true profiles: Pictures that appear professionally modeled or too perfect, with little to no visible flaws.
- Immediate strong feelings: Expressing intense love or commitment very early in the conversation.
- Excuses to avoid meeting in person: Always having a reason why they can’t meet up, such as constant travel or a “busy schedule.”
- Financial requests: Asking for money to cover an emergency, travel costs, or other fabricated needs.
- Pressure to move off-platform: Wanting to quickly switch communication to text, WhatsApp, or other private channels.
- Limited personal information: Being vague about their life, job, or background, without providing details that can be easily verified.
- Refusal to video chat: Avoiding or consistently canceling scheduled video calls.
- Inconsistent stories: Providing conflicting details about themselves when questioned.
- “Catfishing” with stolen photos: Using photos that do not belong to them, which you can often verify by performing a reverse image search.
How to Protect Yourself
- Take your time: Don’t rush into a relationship or share personal information too quickly.
- Verify details: Try to confirm details about their life through independent sources like social media or mutual connections.
- Initiate video calls: Early on, suggest a video chat to see if their appearance matches their profile.
- Be cautious about sharing financial information: Never send money to someone you’ve only met online, regardless of their story.
- Please also check online for other sources of information.
