Online dating started in 1995 when Match.com was founded as the first online dating service in the world, the trend has been on the exponential rise.
When you’re dealing with matters of the heart, that can put people in a vulnerable position, and unfortunately, scammers, sexual predators, kidnappers,human traffickers,know how to take advantage of that.
ONLINE DATING DANGERS
THEY EXHIBIT A SUSPICIOUS AND DANGEROUS BEHAVIOUR
1.Does your date go radio silent for hours at a time? Do they cancel plans at the last minute? Proceed with caution. It may be a sign that he’s already in a relationship.
2.Should you decide to exchange numbers and they start spamming you with multiple texts, beware. Watch out for any signs of paranoia or extreme low self esteem as these are traits of someone who might be mentally unbalanced.
3.If he becomes aggressive when you don’t reply immediately, don’t reply at all. Early signs of controlling behavior indicates a dangerous personality.
4.If they jump into sexual euphemisms right away or ask for/send risque photos, abort.
5.If they ask for money, dip out immediately. You’re most likely talking to a scammer. No matter what sob story they cook up to justify it, no decent person will ask you for cash before you’ve even met.
DISHONEST PROFILE TO BAIT THEIR VICTIM
People's profiles are not always accurate, complete, or honest. In truth, very often they are the opposite.
When people learn that someone's profile has misled them, they react with anger. I get that. I would be pissed off too.
But what about when they have been misled in person? What about when they are at a party and someone exaggerates their status to make themselves more attractive? Isn't that the same thing? Who's to blame in that regard? There's no dating site, so is it just your own gullibility? Or the injustice in the world?
This days people are naturally dishonest in their status both online and offline. It is easier to spot offline dishonest status if what they said doesn't portray what you see. It is difficult to spot online status that is dishonest. You must read through lines in conversation and profile to spot their true identity to unhooked yourself from their bait.
Baiting through dishonest profile is to gain the trust of their victim over a period of time before carrying out their evil act.
THEY LIE ABOUT THEIR RELATIONSHIP
STATUS
51% of all online dating people are in a relationship, only 21% are really single and 11% are married. Only about 17% of online daters are actually single.
So the danger is you might be having a relationship with someone who is not actually single but lie about their relationship status in order to bait you into dating to achieve their evil intention.
Don't be deceive by their profile stating their singleness and you decide to have a relationship with a total stranger you met online you might be heading for doom. You are not safe.
PROFILE RED FLAGS CHARACTERISTICS
Lots of 'I' or 'Me' statements can indicate narcissism, as can someone who refers to themselves as good looking.
Steer clear of anyone who says they ‘don’t want any DRAMA or claim that they are ‘not a game PLAYER.
These statements are a red flag that the opposite is probably true.
Watch out for small or blurry photographs, or a user who only has one profile image.
Stay away from any language that can be immediately identified as possessive or domineering. ‘I need’ or ‘I won’t tolerate’ are giant no-no’s, as is a long list of demands for a potential suitor.
Negative positioning, such as frequent use of the words ‘can’t’ ‘won’t’ or ‘don’t’ hint that they have a negative attitude.
THEY MIGHT BE ROMANCE FRAUDSTERS
Romance fraudsters" target singles columns and dating websites to search for victims.
They create fictitious online profiles and send out unsolicited emails or letters, often with fake photographs, using the trust they build up to persuade their victims to part with large sums of money in frauds that can go on for years.
These typically involve the scamster telling their victim they want to meet them but are stranded without the money to travel or cover visa costs.
They may also say that they or a family member require urgent treatment for an illness.
THEY MIGHT HAVE A PAST CRIMINAL RECORD
The person you are dating online might be calm, easy going, gentle, caring, kind, self-sacrificing, loving and sympathetic.
Don't be blown away by these outstanding qualities and let your guard down in ocean of love swimming deeply in an emotional attachment that blind your trust and loyalty that you are dating a criminal.
This person might have committed minor or serious crime in the past and pay heavily for their crime as a criminal or an ex-convict unknowingly to you.
Their photos(which might be doctored or tampered with to conceal their identity) and profile doesn't include any criminal record so you are unaware of their past criminal record.
It is far better to take things slowly to get more information about this online stranger you are in love with to avoid unnecessary pain, financial lost, injury or death.
CATFISHING
Have you ever heard of catfishing? In the online dating world, a catfish is a person who creates fake profiles on social media accounts using someone else’s information.
Maybe they just want attention, or maybe they’re trying to lure you into sending them money or personal details.
People don’t want to believe they’re being catfished. But especially if you’ve never met your long distance partner in person, there’s always a chance they’re hiding elements of the truth from you.
RED FLAG STATISTICS ON ONLINE DATING IN GENERAL
Here are statistics to keep in mind when you’re looking for a hookup, friendship, date, relationship, marriage, or any other type of companionship.
1. About 10% of Sex Offenders Use Dating Sites
According to Phactual, one in 10 sex offenders is on a dating site to meet new people — while 25% of rapists use online dating to find their victims. If you’re worried about one of your online matches, you can refer to the National Sex Offender Public Website’s sex offender registry, where you can search by name and location.
2. On Free Dating Sites, 1 in 10 Users are Scammers
In that same article by Phactual, the company Marketdata Enterprises Inc. says 10% of profiles on free dating sites are fake.
This brings up a good point. Some free dating services are less trustworthy than the ones you have to pay for because anyone and everyone can join.
According to Marketdata Enterprises Inc., one in 10 profiles on free dating sites are fake.
People who are serious about meeting that special someone are more than likely willing to buy a monthly subscription. What you’ll want to look out for if you’re looking for a phony is extremely poor grammar, spelling mistakes, a lack of pictures and pertinent information, and if they ask you for money.
3. Every Year, 16,000 Abductions, 100 Murders & Thousands of Rapes are Committed by Online Predators
Internet Predator Stats found online predators commit around 16,000 abductions, 100 murders, and thousands of rapes each year.
These are terrifying numbers, but once again, the tips in this article are here to help protect you and your loved ones and lower that number to zero.
4. In 2011, Cons Involving Money Cost Victims More Than $50 Million
We mentioned earlier that the most common scam that occurs on dating sites probably involves money.
CreditDonkey, a data-driven finance and jeweler comparison site, says that in 2011 alone, online con artists duped their victims out of more than $50 million in money and property.
Lots of the time their story will be that they’re in a foreign country and don’t have the means to pay for travel expenses to come see you. Be wary!
5. Over 53% of Americans Exaggerate Part of Their Profile
An infographic created by eHarmony shows that more than half of Americans fabricate parts or all of their dating profiles — a statistic attributed to the global research agency Opinionmatters.
Age, height, weight, and income are just some of the characteristics people beef up to make themselves look and sound more attractive.
6. Half of Online Daters are Already in a Relationship, While 11% are Married
Hand in hand with the statistic above is the fact that 62% of people lie about their current relationship status, according to the lifestyle blog The Bittersweet Life. About 51% of online daters are already in a long-term commitment and 11% are already married.
Research shows that 62% of online daters are already in a relationship and lie about it.
Remember rings come off, people! It’s OK to ask questions and do some research if you’re worried someone isn’t being 100% honest with you.
7. Sex on the First Offline Date: 4 Out of 5 Women Don’t Use Protection
We’re back to Phacutal’s research, which cites that 33% of women have sex on the first date they met with someone online, but that’s not really the bad news (people can do whatever they want with their bodies).
The bad news comes with the second part of that stat — four out of five don’t use protection. It’s important to stay safe both online and offline!
Ways to Protect Yourself When You’re Online Dating.
Below are tips to keep yourself safer:
1. Take it slow! As exciting as the attention may be, you are NOT in a race to meet someone.
2. Think carefully about your screen name. You are only asking for trouble if you mislead men, by having an overly sexy name they are associating you with, such as bustybabe69, or hot4u2nitexxx.
3. Be honest! Lying about who you are is no good way to start a relationship. When they find out you have lied, they may be furious, which gives you a bad situation to deal with.
4. Ask for as many recent photos of them as you can, and share yours too. A lot of people post photos of themselves anywhere from 5-20 years ago! This is deception and another bad way to start.
Appearance can help you determine whether the person is someone you want to correspond with. If the person doesn't send a photo and makes excuses, stop corresponding with him.
5. Search for men in your area/state first. Many men are listed on these sites in several states, and are playing games with numerous women.
6. Continue using email as the form of correspondence between you and the person you are getting to know for longer than you think you should, before giving them your phone number.
You don’t want to have to change your number often if you start to get uncomfortable or harassed by this person. If you want to talk sooner, get their number, and block yours before calling them.
7. Before meeting them for the first time, leave their name, phone number, and meeting place with a friend. If any serious problem arises, they (and you) can be tracked down easier and faster.
8. Meet in a public place. When meeting someone for the first time, and possibly the 2nd and 3rd date too, it will minimize potential danger if you are surrounded by people.
If you decide to meet, choose a safe place, such as a restaurant during a busy time. Tell a friend where you're going and what time you plan to return. Give your friend the person's name and phone number.
Never arrange for someone to pick you up at your home or office. Take your own transportation. When the date is over, do not allow the person to follow you or allow them to accompany you to your house it is very dangerous and unsafe knowing fully well that they are still strangers.
9.Watch for warning signs. If a person displays anger, tries to pressure you, gives inconsistent information about himself (even age!), refuses to speak to you on the phone after you've established an email correspondence, something isn't right. Move on.
10. Drive your OWN car. Don’t have this “stranger” pick you up in their car. You may be trapped and not free to leave if becoming uncomfortable. Being in their car gives them all of the control of where you are going and when you are returning home.
11. When you start dating someone seriously, remove your profile from the site and ask them to do so as well. If they are truly interested in you, and don’t have commitment issues, they should have no problem doing this.
12.Speak on the phone. While the Rules Girls advise women not to push the "relationship" from email to phone (let the man call you!), a phone call can reveal much about a person's social skills.
If you decide to speak with someone on the phone, give your cell phone number or ask the person for his number.
Also use telephone-blocking techniques so he can't get your number through caller ID.
13.Protect yourself. If you feel uncertain about someone, get offline. If you're in a public place with a person, excuse yourself and call a friend from the ladies room and ask that person to come and meet you. If you feel unsafe, call the police. Don't be embarrassed. Be safe.
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