It’s an unfortunate truth that scams have become a part of everyday life. The worst aspect of all these scams is that it is the elderly who are the main targets. The internet gives everyone a great chance to do something good. Unfortunately it also gives people the tools scam artists need to hide who they are and what they want. What they want to do is use dating sites to meet poor victims who just want some love.
There is no need to be really discouraged though. Real Love Scam wants to reassure you that the vast majority of people on dating sites are people who are actually looking for love, like you. There are some signs you can pick up on when on dating sites. We recommend everyone use these signs to spot potential scam artists with a special recommendation for the elderly.
Real Love Scam: Beware People Who Move Too Fast
A major red flag is people who are interested in moving too quickly and people who want to meet you in the real world. It is quite the compliment to have someone want to meet you in real life like that. You should still make sure that you are comfortable with this person and be careful when deciding if you should. Ensure that you allow your relationship to form and flow naturally and only meet someone when you are ready. Real Love Scam recommended waiting at least a month before even talking to the other person on the phone. You might even need to wait longer than that. You need to be aware that the more information you give to the other person then the more they know about you. Your phone number especially is a big deal. It’s tied to your home address so giving that out gives out your address. We urge that you are ready for that before taking that step.
Always Meet In Public First
Always make sure that the first meeting you have with someone is in public, and that your friends or family know where you are. Consider even taking them along as a chaperone. Ensure that they also know the name of the other person, their phone number, and when you are due home. Never allow someone else to isolate you away from your friends and family. If someone really wants to be an important part of your life then they will want to meet the other people that are important to you, and they will want to enjoy the things you find important with you. Another big red flag is people who want to take you away from your important people.
It also helps to tell the other person that you have told your family and friends about them. If you’re not comfortable telling them this then you can pretend that a member of your family who is overprotective made you do it. If your date gets angry about this then that’s just another red flag warning you that something is wrong and they have illegitimate intentions. Move on if they keep that kind of behavior up. Real Love Scams want you to know that there are still many people out there who are completely honest and will be honest with you.
Be Careful With Personal Information
There are some pieces of personal information that everyone shares with the people they meet; things like their name, the color of their hair and the school they went to. That’s acceptable information to share. However you NEVER, EVER, share any information relating to your finances; your bank details, the value of your house, etc. This is perhaps the biggest red flag there is. If you refuse they’re likely to give you a sob story about why they need that information or why they need money from you. Ignore it. These people have perfected their stories about emergencies they’ve just suffered and reasons they need money. Real Love Scams recommend that you politely end the conversation with someone who asks these details and never talk to them.
We know this sounds bad but we urge you to not be discouraged about all this. The majority of people on dating sites that you will interact with really are there for the same reasons you are. They don’t have any plans to scam you or anyone else. As long as you keep looking you can find love!
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