5 Most Common Fraud Schemes on Dating Sites

Dating sites are created to help single people in the search for true love. However, these services are popular not only among ordinary users but also scammers. They have several well-functioning schemes that you should know in order to recognize a scammer and protect yourself. So, let’s look at the most common fraud schemes on dating sites.

Luxurious life

This scheme applies to women seeking a good life at the expense of others. A scammer creates a profile page on a dating site and posts photos of his luxurious life: restaurants, yachts, villas, and chic beaches. Having a little talk with a potential victim, the scammer invites her to spend the weekend, for example, on the coast of some paradise resort.

A woman feels enthusiastic, inspired by the upcoming trip. In the meantime, the conditions of the trip become interesting – she has to pay for tickets since a bank account of her “prince” is suddenly frozen or there are other reasons why he did not pay. He has already found the best hotel and organized everything, but what a pity! Such an annoying problem has happened. He promises to cover all costs on arrival. So, the woman transfers money to his account or pays for tickets.

After the payment, there are 2 possible case scenarios:

• The scammer disappears as soon as he gets the money. This is the most common outcome of such a situation.

• The scammer really goes on vacation with his “chosen one”, but does it all at her expense, ensuring to return all the money after getting home. Of course, any monetary return remains out of the question.

Generosity

This method is similar to the previous one because it focuses on female gullibility and love of gifts. This fraud is used by scammers who pretend to be foreigners. The scheme is as follows: after a long conversation, a man tells a woman that he wants to send her an expensive gift.

After some time, the woman receives an SMS from the courier service, which requires the transfer of funds for paying for the delivery from abroad. In correspondence with the generous fan, she finds out that he either did not have the opportunity to pay for the delivery, or simply forgot about it, but promises to refund all expenses from day to day. Trustful lady transfers the necessary amount of money and expects her gift. But in the end, she receives neither the delivery nor the admirer. After getting the money, the scammer removes the profile page from the dating site, and all his data turn out to be invalid. Moreover, the site of the courier service turns out to be fake.

Urgent help

Begging for sympathy is the most common scheme of deception. A scammer communicates with a lady, confesses his love, and promises marriage and a happy life together. But the admirer suddenly has a misfortune that becomes an obstacle on the way to his sweetheart. Most often it is:

• injury after a terrible accident;

• sudden severe illness;

• serious problems in business up to bankruptcy;

• he does not have the opportunity to go abroad because of military clashes in his country;

• borrowers did not discharge the debt but promise to refund money in a little while.

This is not a complete list of possible situations – scammers have enough imagination for different sentimental stories. But the goal is the same – to stir a woman to pity and trick out of her money. So you should learn more about romance scam to protect yourself.

Single dad

This scheme of deception is intended for maternal feelings of single women. After all, fathers who raise children alone, cause a lot of tender emotions and admiration in the weaker sex.

How do scammers act according to this scheme? When communicating with a compassionate woman, a man complains about his difficult life situation: the wife left, leaving him with a baby who has a serious illness. But he does not have money either for a decent life or for the treatment of the child. And she is the one and only woman who can easily become his wife and a mother for the child. The fraudster makes up pitiful fables in order to move his victim to pity and trick out more money.

Tried-and-true soldier

Army men – are a special caste that causes increased female attention. This fact is often used by fraudsters. A scammer creates a profile on a dating site on behalf of a gallant officer. Of course, the “authentic” photos speak for his officer rank and valor of the admirer.

Having found a victim, the scammer writes that he fell in love with her at first sight. But he rarely goes online as the brave deeds above all. He writes briefly and mostly showers the woman with compliments, “dreaming” about a soon reunion with her. What does he really want? Money, of course! He can extort them under any pretext — help for the good of the army, for his children, or for treatment after a “war injury.”