In my Exclusive News Story about safety fears for online daters, the article talks about how the number of trolls, perverts and scammers on internet dating sites and apps has allegedly trebled within nearly a decade, sparking fears and concerns for online safety and leading to calls for tighter regulation.
The platforms see approximately three times as many “sinister, exploitative individuals” as there were before their popularity exploded in the early 2000’s.
Singletons looking for love and romance must now contend with more “huddled, fraudsters and worse” than ever, putting innocent members – and especially first-time users – at risk.
The Federal Trade Commission in the US also issued a warning to consumers in July 2018, about an increase in online romance scams, where known cases in the US tripled between 2012 and 2016.
It’s often difficult to spot a romance scammer and can be hard for dating apps to stop them setting up an online dating profile, as they tend to be very clever and very manipulative, but there are precautions that you can take and signs that you can look out for.
For example, spelling mistakes and the use of bad grammar; the lack of photos posted; only one photo posted – but it’s usually of someone who looks absolutely stunning (they often use photos taken from modelling sites and magazines); someone who contacts you from another country; someone who refuses to talk to you on the phone or by Skype; someone who always makes an excuse not to meet up; someone who asks you for money; – it’s basically a grooming process and the scammer will ask you for money in the name of love. They prey on people’s loneliness, desperation and weaknesses
The alarm bells in your head should also start ringing if other users of Online Dating sites and apps want to swap phone numbers straight away, or want to meet up with you almost immediately. Tread carefully and don’t swap numbers with someone immediately. If they’re not after a quick bunk-up, they could be scammers who will lie to you with the aim of stealing your hard earned cash. Never give out your financial details to anyone, or tell someone where you live. They may also be lying to you about their relationship status, as it could be that they’re married and are only looking for sex.
They could also be a very dangerous individual who is looking to cause you harm. The number of sex attacks involving dating apps is on the rise and this is where I believe dating apps should be doing more to help protect their users.
Worryingly, the number of sex attacks reported is likely to be a lot higher. Some attacks are not reported due to sheer fear, or the shame and humiliation that people often feel in such a situation. Often, victims of a sexual assault will blame themselves and people will often be angry with themselves, feeling they lost control of the situation. People will often meet someone online without telling anyone, as many people still have a stigma against online dating. If you’re a woman especially, let someone know where you’re going on a date. Nowadays, you can also put a GPS tracker on your phone and link it to a friend’s phone so they can see where you are at any time.
My new book, Love at First Swipe, also provides sound advice on how you can spot a romance scammer. It’s available now on Amazon UK priced £8.99 in paperback and £3.99 as an eBook.
You can also visit my website for more dating news and advice: https://loveatfirstswipe.online/
Love At First Swipe 