Tinder and Discord, among others, have made the world a global village where people find love through applications. However, as it may turn out later on, this online search for a partner has given rise to an even bigger problem—romance scams.
These cons are perpetrated by individuals who hide behind screens and use fake profiles to deceive people looking for affection. At first, it starts from the dating app but then goes to personal messages in WhatsApp or Telegram.
In summary, this results into a very bad situation whereby the optimistic lover is taken advantage of and loses the money they worked hard for. That’s why one should know these red flags first in order not to fall prey to such evil deeds.
Keep reading.
The Scam’s Lifecycle
The scam life cycle starts on dating apps as Tinder or Discord where fake profiles are created by scammers to capture attention. The first conversations are enjoyable and real.
During this chat, the fraudster suggests moving to private messaging apps like WhatsApp or Telegram for more privacy. At this stage, the scammer builds trust by sharing pictures and videos that make their fabricated identity appear real.
With time, the scammer shares stories about their lives, dreams, and problems thus creating strong emotional connections. Sometimes they may even video call but these calls are carefully managed so as not to expose their true identity.
In some cases, they might ask you for small amounts of money – perhaps citing a small emergency or testing your faith in them.
The peak of this scam happens when they come up with big reasons why he or she needs a large amount of money. Often, the money is needed for travel expenses to meet in person finally.
Sadly, once the money’s gone through, the fraudster will invent excuses why he/she can’t show up and frequently asks for more money to solve this new problem.
Throughout the whole process, the fraudster keeps acting nice and comforting, thus making the defrauded person feel secure and loved. It is a mean trick that weaponizes people’s longing for love and relationships against them.
So, being aware of these scam steps can help you prevent both emotional and financial damage.
Red Flags and Prevention For romance Scams
In online dating, romance scams are a cruel reality where people looking for love get targeted by scammers. Recognizing these signs can save you from getting heartbroken or losing your money.
Here are the key signs to watch for:
Live Video Calls
Requiring live video calls helps in confirming someone’s identity. Scammers often use stolen or stock photos in creating fake profiles, making it hard to tell if they are real by just using pictures only. But a live video call can help you verify if their profile and story truly matches with their appearance.
It is an immediate way to know whether the person on whose profile one is chatting with is actually he/she. If they consistently come up with reasons not to have a live video chat, be warned; it’s a huge red flag.
In simple terms, normal human beings will definitely reveal their face as well as share with you real life moments through videos and not otherwise.
Financial Requests
“Why are you asking for money?” It is a huge red flag that you should never ignore on the internet. It’s a policy: never ever send cash to someone online who you’ve never met. Victims are often tricked by con artists who create elaborate tales of such things as emergencies, business needs and travel expenses.
The story might be very convincing or the emotional bond may seem strong, but sending money can result in financial loss and emotional pain. Keep that in mind whenever such requests come up. Safeguard your money by just saying no to those demands.
Broken Promises
It is common for scam artists to fail after promising to meet face-to-face, particularly after you have sent him/her travel money. Scammers who play with emotions may say they will come to see or even move in with you.
However, after giving them your money, they create excuses like visa issues, medical conditions or traveling problems as causes why it was impossible for them to make it over. These broken promises are aimed at extracting more funds.
In this case, stop all financial support as well as communication to prevent further damage.
Personal Information
When dating online, it is important that one keeps their personal and financial information safe. Scammers are out there to manipulate or steal from you by making sure they get as much personal information as they can.
Be cautious about telling them your full names, location address, phone numbers, banking details amongst other things.
A genuine connection will respect your privacy and limits hence no need of sharing such information at the earliest stage. As the relationship strengthens through open and consistent communication, keep your data safe and share only what is necessary.
What You Can Do: If you meet someone who is a scammer, report them on the dating app because this helps protect everyone in the community against further scams happening.
Conclusion - Have You Been Scammed? We Can Help!
Losing your money to a fraudster is a hurting experience and if you have been through this, just know that there are many others. We at Online Justice are experienced in helping people recover from such scams.
So, make that call now. Let us get back your money!