How to Avoid Online Dating Scams

Online Dating Scams are not the only obstacle to meeting the ideal date. Fraud, Crime and Personal Injury are a very real danger. Here’s Some Tips to Avoid Getting Hurt:

WEBWIRE – Thursday, January 23, 2014

Dan Page, President of IDhonesty

As the new year begins, millions of people have resolved to meet “Mr. Right”, or “Miss Perfect”. Filled with pure intentions, people flock to online dating ads in Craiglist and other message boards, or join online dating sites.

A person can be smart, successful and aware of the dangers lurking around them, but STILL get hurt badly with online dating scams.

Why?

Because even though we think our logical brains will be on the lookout for online scams and fraud, our EMOTIONAL brain clouds our clear thinking, often resulting in getting ripped off by “that nice guy” or worse yet, becoming a victim of physical assault.

Yes, it happens to smart people, and it can happen to you.

Here’s the most important tip to avoid becoming a victim of Online Dating Scams:

TRUST, but VERIFY

Getting to know someone on the phone, through chat, text or email are all relatively safe options, since there is a physical separation between both parties.

The primary danger occurs when both parties end up in a non-public place (like a walk in the woods, a visit to an apartment or other place where the victim is alone).

How to Stay Safe:

1.) Verify the identity of the other person, before agreeing to meet them in a private setting. Services like IDhonesty ;(www.idhonesty.com) helps the dating public to verify the identity of other people.

2.) Run a Criminal Background Check on the other person. BUT... be sure their identity has been verified first. If their identity has not been verified, you could be running a criminal background check on a phantom person.

Some online dating sites (but not many) require their members to run criminal background checks. But very few of them require members to verify their identities, so oftentimes the criminal background checks are of little use.

If they refuse? Run for the hills, since they likely have something to hide!

One final caution: Verifying the other person’s identity and running a criminal background check will go a long way toward keeping you safe, since the criminals with pre-meditated intent to do harm will be exposed. But it is not a guarantee that all will be perfect. Common sense and a safety-mindset should always be your best friends.