As online dating continues to grow in popularity – it’s also starting to see its fair share of investigations and scams as well. Americans are looking for love where they can find it, and the ease of use of online dating via apps and websites only grows the frequency they can choose to find their soulmate. Yet it’s key to be aware that online dating has a darker side. It can be a lot more than just a broken heart or even being ghosted.
In fact, criminals are notoriously starting to use online dating apps to scam the lonely hearts in the world out of their hard-earned money. This leaves them to recuperate emotionally as well as financially. These criminals take various pathways, but in the end, it’s all about trying to leech money away from you. Bond Investigations feels that every demographic is at risk, but women tend to be more vulnerable to these types of scams.
How these common scams tend to work
First, they will always claim that they are from the States and are currently not stateside. They may be traveling abroad enjoying their ‘wild lifestyle’ that they want to share with you. Or even at times, claim to be in the military and are simply stationed overseas. The point is they aren’t readily available to meet with the person they are trying to scam.
They will then start to lure the victim into online intimacy and work to build a connection. The victim is simply being patient. Yet at the same time, the criminal is merely building this fake relationship for what happens inevitably next, and it will happen. The criminal may try to lure the victim off the online dating site or app and eventually ask the victim for money.
The reason can be anything. Such as a family member being sick or the fact that a transaction needs to have completed, but their banking isn’t currently working. Basically, they’re asking the victim for money. The minute that they receive it, the scammer disappears into the digital wind.
Another scam that is starting to be common is when scammers and criminals build intimate online relationships quickly. They will tend to make the person feel extremely comfortable to have them trust the criminal with sensitive, illicit photos. Once the unsuspecting party sends these photos, the scammer posts them online. The scammer will then only remove them once they receive a sum of money.
The final type of scam to have a concern about is what is known as catfishing. Technically there are elements of a catfish in the two scam types mentioned above. However, it’s still important to fully understand what catfishing is. This is where people use fake identities and act specifically to lure their victims into whatever their scam is.
Get yourself an online dating investigation today
If you feel that you’ve fallen victim to any online dating scam, or you’re about to become one and want to dive deeper into your potential romantic partner, we’re here for you.
At Bond Investigations, we help you discover their true intentions and identities for you. In addition, we do extensive research and background checks with our online dating investigations. This helps put your mind at ease and to help you focus on the romantic aspect.
