Sailing in the rough waters of online dating is complicated enough, even without giving a thought that the person you are chatting with doesn't really exist. No wonder such phrases as "a catfisher's victim" or "marriage frauds" became firmly established among the associations with Internet matchmaking.
At this point, we probably need to clarify the term "catfish" in the context of online dating. The first time it was heard was in the documentary film of the MTV channel. So, the catfisher is a scammer that lures inexperienced people into a virtual relationship by impersonating someone else. In most cases - this person uses stolen pictures and private information posted on the Internet.
To fall in love with a woman whose personality is absolutely fake seems unbelievable. But it happens more often than you might think. Those who are longing for love can be easily manipulated by professionals since they want to trust. Still, such a romance can last for a few years and bring tragic emotional and financial consequences for the victims
.The typical catfisher may have a wide variety of motives for her actions: from boredom to revenge. This person is often driven by the desire to be the boss of someone else's life, get money from the online boyfriend.
But you don't need to quit your search for love through the Internet right away. With our help, you will meet the twelve most common red flags of online dating. Never forget: forewarned is forearmed.
Sign #1
The first one of dating red flags for guys we want to forewarn you - concerns the profile pictures of your conversationalist.
Like we have mentioned before - online scammers often steal photos of ordinary people from their social networks; the same goes for local, not very famous influencers. The less experienced catfisher may even use pictures of actresses, models, etc. The goal is to create a profile of an attractive woman and awaken a male's desire to get to know her better.
How to understand that there's something wrong with your new online girlfriend? Above all, if the photos are too good to be true - try to verify them through the image search on the Internet. This way, you can find out where else such pictures were already posted. You should definitely start worrying if the person you are chatting with is a famous model.
Sign #2
This one certainly belongs to the red flags (before dating). If you can see only a few pictures in the profile of your potential girlfriend - take it as a wake-up call. Scammers, as a rule, upload from one to a maximum of three images. The photos' quality may be poor - certain places are blurred or even contain watermarks.
Be even more careful if some "secret message" is hidden in profile pictures. It might be a woman's personal contact details or a link to another dating platform. So never forget about these dating red flags to look for in a woman’s user page.
Sign #3
An average online dating scammer will, most likely, offer to transfer your communication outside the website where you have met as soon as possible. Often, such people prefer social networks, such as Facebook or VK.com (in case they come from Russian-speaking countries). Messengers like Telegram and Whatsapp are pretty popular too.
Why do they do this? The answer is quite apparent - these guys want your money. Many sites, in contrast to the above-mentioned media channels, block users who send such requests. So, till the moment you are totally sure about your online partner - don't do this. Keep in mind this point of the dating red flags list.
Sign #4
We (modern people) use the Internet every day. It is, therefore, almost impossible to live your life nowadays without leaving digital footprints. It means if you can't find anything about the person you've got to know through a matchmaking platform - it belongs to the red flags of dating.
According to recent research, commonly, a Facebook user has 130 friends. So, in case your lady has only a few of them - watch out. It could be a sign that she is a fake. Of course, it doesn't take much time to send friendship requests to random users of any social network. It, however, might simply be traced. For example, she lives in Texas, and her Facebook friends - not even in her country - isn't it a bit strange?
What else? Another point of online dating warnings is her content. Can you find among the profile pictures those where she is in various social situations? With her friends, relatives? Or are there only photos made during professional photo shootings? Sorry, but it's not okay...
Bear in mind: if anything from the online behavior of your girl raises extra questions - stop chatting with her. Trust us: it will save you a lot of heartache in the future.
Sign #5
Sure, it's such a pleasure to finally meet someone who loves all the same things as you. But slow down with the joy - it might also belong to the red flags of dating. The chance to face fraud is 50/50 - so you need to be very cautious.
A catfisher may pretend she has the same interests just to ensure you have something to talk about. On the other hand, this little nuance helps to build a strong connection between strangers. For this reason, you need to be as skeptical as possible.
We don't want to say a woman can't be a fan of hard rock music, Silver Age poets, and winemaking. But, most likely, not more than two things from your hobby list at the same time.
Sign #6
Scammers love to show their emotions which are, of course, as fake as they are. Therefore, to the red flags through texting precisely belongs such a behavior.
Be very careful with a woman who sends you messages with love confessions or words of deep affection after a short period of communication. This is one of the working tricks of fraudsters since they like to manipulate their victims through emotions. Don't expect the majority of females to fall in love so madly without a single meeting in real life. Let this statement be your guide in online dating.
Sign #7
It won't be a surprise, but the ultimate goal of most scammers is money. Simply said, sooner or later, you will start receiving corresponding requests and hints. The scenarios are always different. Some of them have health problems, others - difficulties with paying a bank loan. Just like the tragic family circumstances, by the way. So it definitely takes place in our online dating red flags for men rate.
Nowadays, the catfisher has become more creative. You may get a message from your online girlfriend with the notification that she wants to send you a small package. However, she is not able to pay the customs fees. And you might even receive a call or a document that simulates the payment request from your local Customs Service. It belongs to the red flags for dating a woman from abroad, of course.
Not less creative local scammers might ask you to provide financial assistance or become an investor of their fictitious business.
Sign #8
Unfortunately, sign number seven is not the only one closely linked with the money among online dating red flags. Scammers are not always asking for financial assistance - it is also about money laundering.
How does it work? A girl sends her victim money and, in return - asks to buy her an Amazon gift card or any other online store. Alternative scenario: she may ask you to resend the received from her funds to her relative or friend. Sometimes it even involves opening a bank account in your name.
Never say yes to such offers! It's not a matter of laughing - it's a crime.
Sign #9
You can find certain red flags in a woman's dating profile too. Namely - links to sites of third parties. Still, scammers may use messages for this purpose as well.
What kind of links do we mean? As usual, it is something like: app, game, betting, or website with a "trial" membership. When you follow this link - you either download malware or give catfisher access to your financial information.
Sign #10
A few interesting facts figured out by the recent research of the Better Business Bureau. According to them, the majority of online scammers live in Nigeria. The second and third places of this anti-rate are occupied by Ghana and Malaysia. This explains the next point of our red flags while dating on the Internet list.
The fraudsters usually avoid phone calls, voice messages, and talking with the video. Because one minute of such a conversation is enough to understand who you are dealing with.
Okay, these guys can learn to imitate the accent of the citizens of the country stated in the fake profile they use. That's why you need to be especially careful with the ladies who avoid video calls. A broken video camera is not a good reason for it. All modern smartphones have a built-in camera that enables people to see each other during the chat. You might say your conversationalist is just too shy. But if she is brave enough to tell you that she is head over heels in love, what makes her say no to video? It's an undeniable sign of red flags to look for when dating online.
Sign #11
According to cybersecurity experts, fraudsters are very imaginative personalities. They love to tell dramatic stories about their lives. When listening to what they say, you might start thinking that any Hollywood blockbuster is less exciting. So it surely belongs to red flags when dating online.
For example, your Internet girlfriend can say she works for the army. And it, therefore, makes your offline meeting not easy to arrange. Together with the specific jargon and details - this myth may sound very realistic.
Sign #12
"Our future will be great, seriously! Will you marry me?" Watch out for such messages since they belong to the red flags while dating online.
If, after a short time of chatting, a woman starts making plans for the future for your couple - run away. Do you really think it's okay when someone talks about marriage without seeing each other at least once?
Another favorite phrase of all catfishers is, "Oh, I have never felt so safe in my life than with you!" Say goodbye right after hearing something like this since it is also on the list of red flags of online dating.
Today we were talking about the red flags in online dating. And, in conclusion, we find it especially important to focus our attention on how you can protect yourself from being scammed.
First of all, be very careful with the matchmaking platform you choose. Regrettably, the majority of free sites in the industry can't guarantee their customers' safety. The reason is - they don't verify users' identities. Still, it's essential to check the reviews of users before joining each one.
No less significant is to use the image search on the Internet to monitor your lady's photos. Watch out that the same pictures don't appear on different sites under various names.
Never reveal too many personal details about yourself. Especially when chatting with women - you haven't met in real life. It doesn't only belong to classic red flags for online dating but is really dangerous as well.
If you get hundreds of letters and messages that consist solely of flattery - don't answer. Especially in case - a girl's profile seems suspicious to you.
Moreover: don't even think of sending private, or better to say - intimate pictures of yourself to new acquaintances. A catfisher may use such photos to blackmail you and ask for money.
If you notice one or more signs mentioned in this article during communication and can't find a way to verify your interlocutor's identity - immediately stop talking to this person.
Always keep in mind that your safety is in your own hands. Protect your personal data not only while using dating websites but the Internet in general. Scammers can be met everywhere: from marketplaces to social networks. So don't be the low-risk victim in a high-risk environment.
