How To Spot A Dating Scammer
Online dating is a great way to meet people, but romance scammers target daters of every age, including people in their forties who are busy, trusting and keen to meet someone genuine. Our team works to keep fake profiles off Singles Over 40, and knowing the warning signs helps keep you safe too.
What Is A Dating Scammer?
A romance scammer creates a fake identity to win your trust and then asks for money or personal information. It is a crime, and it can happen to anyone.
Warning Signs To Look Out For
Language and grammar
Their messages do not match who they claim to be, or read as if they were copied and pasted. Watch for overly formal or flowery language and odd phrases such as "Hello dear".
Fast Moving
They talk about love, marriage or a future together within days, often before you have even spoken on the phone.
Money Requests
Sooner or later they need money: for a flight to visit you, a medical bill, a frozen bank account, customs fees on a parcel or an investment opportunity. Never send money, vouchers, airtime or crypto to someone you have met online, and never let anyone use your bank account.
Telltale profiles to look out for
They often claim to work overseas, on a ship, an oil rig or a military posting, which conveniently explains why they cannot meet. Their photos may look like a model or a stock image, and they may avoid video calls.
Trust Your Instincts
If something feels wrong, it probably is. A genuine match will be happy to take things slowly and meet in person.
Protect Your Privacy
Be wary of anyone who wants to move off the site and onto WhatsApp or email straight away. Scammers do it to avoid our team, who look out for suspicious accounts.
How Do I Report A Suspected Scammer?
If you suspect that somebody isn't who they say they are or they give you cause for concern in some other way, simply scroll to the bottom of their profile and click the "Report profile" link, which looks like the image below:
Your report will be kept strictly confidential and the person that you have reported will not be aware of your report. We also suggest you activate the "Ignore" link following your report, so as not to be contacted by that member again. Don't worry, if you activate the ignore, the member you wish to ignore will not be able to see your profile anymore and will probably think you have left the service. We will then investigate your report and take whatever action is necessary.
Read more about how to spot dating and romance scams on the South African Banking Risk Information Centre (SABRIC) website here: https://www.sabric.co.za/how-to-stay-safe/. If you have been scammed, report it to your bank straight away and open a case at your nearest SAPS police station.
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