Internet Dating Scams: Don't Be a Victim

The growing popularity of online dating coupled by the anonymity has led to an increase in Internet dating scams. It is terrible enough to rip an already lonely heart - but to rip the heart as well as owner's bank account? Talk of extreme brutality, and yes, heartlessness.

Internet dating scams come in various forms and the perpetrators are always creating new ones. An obvious one is the scam dating site. This is simply a fly-by-night operation, out to sell as many memberships as possible and then disappear without offering service.

Such a scam site will almost certainly cost far less than a typical dating site, while promising to deliver similar offer better service. Well, if it seems too good to be true, it usually is.

A variation of scam dating sites is the pornographic site disguised as a dating site or, more often, an adult dating site. Usually, such a site will use images of attractive "members" to lure you in.

Some knowledgeable prostitutes have discovered that it is more profitable - and much safer - to post a profile on an adult dating site than to work the streets. Better still for the prostitute, she (and in some cases he) has a global market.

But Internet dating scams begin to get more complex when they go international. The most common one is Russian mail-order bride scam. This one targets people from first world countries (the USA being prime target).

Most Russian Internet dating scams start with the man being contacted by an attractive young woman. Often, but not always, the man is much older than the woman. The scammer is counting on such a man being gullible due to being flattered by the thought of a young attractive woman showing interest in him.

After a few emails, the woman claims to be in love with the man, and wants to join him in his country. She requests money for a passport, visa, air ticket and traveling expenses (at the same time or in stages). She suggests wire money transfer or other irreversible means of sending out money.