Some people may think Dream Singles, #1 Niche Dating Site, is a scam. But Dream Singles doesn’t fall into these red flags when it comes to dating scams. Unfortunately, other dating sites don’t have genuine motives. At any moment, you could be scammed out of thousands of dollars. No one will look out for you like you look out for yourself. Here’s a list of the 5 most usual red flags for a dating scam this year.
Dating Scam Red Flag #1: Unusual Stressors
To begin with, a sure way to tell if you’ve walked into a trap deals with unusual stressors. Typically, a scam is taking place when there is a sense of urgency. If the user you are speaking with claims a transaction must happen RIGHT NOW, you should beware. It takes time to build a genuine relationship, both in-person and online. So if you ever find yourself in the situation where someone is pushing you to make an impulsive purchase, don’t do it.
Dating Scam Red Flag #2: Payment in Gift Cards
Today, there are a plethora of payment methods available for use. CashApp, PayPal, Venmo, Zelle – the list can go on and on. Why are gift cards popular with scammers? Simply put, gift cards are convenient to find and they have fewer protections for buyers. What does that mean for you? The scammer has the upperhand if you should ever want to dispute a transaction. While not all businesses use gift cards maliciously, some do. If the person you are speaking to is urgent and says you have to pay with a gift card, you should heed the red flag.
Remember: gift cards are for gifts, not payments.
Dating Scam Red Flag #3: Will Not Take Phone Calls
Have you ever tried to contact customer service and gotten hung up on? Or worse, gotten a fax line? These are not good signs. When a company is not willing to take your phone call, that’s a strong indication that they are not conducting honest business.
Russian dating sites get a bad reputation because of a few bad seeds in the industry. However, a thorough review of Dream Singles stated that their customer service responded the same day they asked a question. Not only does this exemplify excellent customer service, but it also demonstrates care and concern for users of their site.
Dating Scam Red Flag #4: Cannot Locate Company Name or Email Online
Another point of concern deals with obsolete company names and email addresses. If you are thinking about making a transaction on a site, make sure you research the site first. Does the company name show up online? Does it have an option to contact the company? If not, your eyebrows should be raised. The fastest way to be a part of a dating scam is to neglect your research. But sometimes, they will put a phone number on their website to look official. But when you call the number, either it doesn’t work or they will not take your call. These are two major indicators of a dating scam.
Dating Scam Red Flag #5: Request for Money
The most frequent way that scammers give themselves away is when they request money. Let’s say you just met Jane or John Doe at an online dating site. You think everything is going well a few minutes into the chat, but then they ask you to send money. Do you think it is appropriate to give money to someone you literally just met five minutes ago? And why would the other person feel comfortable asking a stranger for money? These are common questions that, more frequently than not, get looked over. If you feel like there are suspicious questions, don’t feel obligated to accept what is happening. You are in control. You can decide to leave the conversation at any point. Exercise your freedom and trust your instincts if you feel like something is off.
All in all, we hope you’ve learned a lot about 5 of the most usual red flags for a dating scam this year. Protecting yourself online is more important now than ever before. The more sophisticated technology becomes, the more we will have to prevent dating scams from taking place. Heed the red flags and trust your instincts.
