In an online world full of potential scams and identity thieves trying to rob you of your credit card information, it can be very difficult to know what is safe and what is unsafe in the online dating game. Online dating can be a lot of fun, but you should always be cautious when you are using a dating site that advertises themselves as “completely free hookup sites”. Although there are married people dating sites that do work for real hookups, it is much more common for the free sites to be riddled with scams that do everything from photo phishing to credit card fraud. Although most sites do have a free account option, sites that have a paid membership option as well are usually a little more secure and reliable for making real dates happen. Particularly if you are into married people dating, there are many scams out there that will try to take advantage of your vulnerability as a person in a relationship. If you want to see the Scams to Avoid as a married person, check out the link for more useful information.
Don’t Get Caught by Online Dating Site ScamsRussian Hookup Site Scams to Avoid
There are many scams that have originated from Russia, but there are 5 particularly nasty scams that you should be aware of as you explore the online dating world.
Visas and Plane Tickets
One common scam that comes from Russia is women who pretend to be interested in meeting you, but cannot afford the plane tickets or visas to visit you in some place like Las Vegas, or wherever you may be in the United States. After many conversations and an evident love connection between the mark and the ‘woman’ in Russia, the woman will be very eager to meet in person. However, through this process there will be many complications that require money to resolve the issue. Perhaps it will be visa issues, or maybe the plane ticket will be more expensive than expected, and the ‘women’ will start to ask for money. Do Not Send Any! This Is a Scam!
Fake Checks
Another variation of the above scam is when the ‘woman’ offers to have checks sent from her relatives in the United States to the unsuspecting guy. She would then suggest that these checks could be cashed by the mark, and the money could be transferred to her so she can buy a plane ticket or whatever. This is also a scam. If the unsuspecting guy does cash the checks and sends a transfer to the ‘woman’, the checks will eventually bounce, and the ‘woman’ will disappear with the money from the transfer.
Credit Card Phishing
Another variation in the same type of Russian bride scam, is for the ‘woman’ to ask for your credit card information so that she can transfer funds to your card in order to buy a plane ticket or whatever else she may be asking for. Never give out your credit card to an unknown person on the internet. This is more than likely a scam as well.
False Imprisonment
In another (not so) surprising twist of this same type of scam is for a ‘woman’, who has established some sort of online relationship with her scam target, to claim that she has been hit with some type of imprisonment or fines due to corrupt officials or a mean law enforcement agent. She may then tell her sob story, and make a plea for money to help get her out of the situation. This is also a scam, even if she sends documentation supporting her claims, it is likely that these have been forged.
Telephone Calls
Often in order to reinforce the idea of a real woman behind these scams, telephone calls will be set up to make the guy believe that the woman he thinks he is in love with is real. This may give him the idea that he knows how to turn a girl on with conversation, but really he is being lured into a scam that will eventually drain him of his money if he does not realize quick enough.
Although these scams may frighten many men away from online dating, there are still dating sites that are known to work and can help you find a real woman that isn’t just interested in your money. If you want to find out about some of the real dating sites that are out there, check out my reviews about all of the scams, as well as the dating sites that worked, during my research period over the last 3 months.
