SCARS™ Anti-Scam Tips: Dating Website Profiles
Updated August 2017 / December 2018
Yes, All Dating Websites Have Scammers! Some Are Drowning In Them!
All Dating Websites Are Very High Risk
From our own observations, almost all dating websites appear to have a very high percentage of Scammers from Africa and Eastern Europe. They make up the majority of new profiles on many of the dating websites from what we have seen. Of course, Plenty of Fish is the award winner because it is free. Any dating website that allows any form or posting profiles for free is going to be flooded with scammers.
Because of the fact that the scammers use multiple accounts, they are able to take advantage of legitimizing techniques because they have “others” they can refer – so they gain quick advantages on many of these sites.
The scammers engage in the basic behaviors of reviewing photos, and wanting to meet, hoping you will also connect. Plus they continue to figure out ways to get you messaging outside the dating site.
Here Are A Typical Page Of Profiles From A Dating Website BADOO.com
Just looking at new profiles on Badoo.com we believe most are scammers!
Spotting Scammers: They Are Fairly Easy To Spot From The Following
This applies to dating website profiles and also social media:
- Anyone that uses a last name as a first name (though this is only about 10% of the scammers that do this)
- Anyone that lists a ridiculous age range, such as “Wants to date with guys, 23-65” – but you will also see “Wants to date with guys, older than 30“
- Look at the age of the person and the photo – they will not match – it is possible that a real person is not using recent photos, but do you want to talk to them anyway?
- Look at the Profile Verification: they have text message phone numbers so this means nothing, they have Facebook and Google plus accounts so this means nothing too!
- Look at their location. For example: they list Miami or Los Angeles – we all know that all big metro areas have numerous districts and towns within them, but they list the generic place.
- They tend to cluster in certain towns and cities. Testing their knowledge about these proves fatal to them, so they generally don’t answer these questions (go on Google and look up some business in that town that a local should know) (local parks and landmarks are also good tests)
- Real people have a lot of photos – scammers generally have a couple – one trick they use is to reload them several times to make it look like they have a larger album
- When your popularity goes up, you are probably being scanned by the scammers, especially as time goes by – since with many sites it is all about “Who’s New”
- On-line hours – real people are usually online in normal hours for your time zone – very late (after 1 am) at night is a hint that it’s a scammer.
- Military personnel – scammers love to impersonate military personnel, but don’t get Military structure – if you do, use it to your advantage (look at our guides on the U.S. Military that can be found on our home page) – they are great ways to catch them in stupid answers.
- Look at their interests – you will find odd and outdated interests, like: CSI, Lost, and older TV shows and movies. Real people have quirky interests, and interests that are local and make sense. Or they have NONE Also if they have an interest that you don’t recognize, Google it – if it is mostly European or African – run away!
- Anyone that claims to be using a family member’s or friend’s profile is a dead give away, and a violation of the site’s terms and conditions – by definition they are impersonating someone else
- Look at the age, a common mistake is that they put the year of birth in as their age! Stupid scammers!
- In messaging, the scammers trip themselves up in several ways!
- Claim they have languages they don’t have
- Use scammer grammar – watch for it
- Refuse to answer questions about their town in detail
- Don’t seem to read previous message posts that should be right in front of them
- Bypass certain topics
- If you mention scammers they claim not to know what you are talking about
- If you catch one and confront them, they don’t know what you mean – a real person accused of being a scammer would be upset
- If you ask out of the blue: “Do you live in a suburb or Accra or in the city proper” (same for Lagos) [Lagos is the Nigerian city where the activity clusters and Accra is in Ghana]
As a user on a dating site, we suggest that you make your photos PRIVATE. That way you can share them when you want, but keep them hidden from the scammers.
We strongly urge ALL Dating Website owners to do the right thing, and do a comparison between the location given for the profile and the login IP addresses – this is easy tech and something all dating sites should do. If they don’t match, send them for a human review or delete them – this is the best way to restore faith in your site!
A Gallery Of Female Dating Website Scammers:
A lot of the same faces over and over and over!
SCARS™ Team
A SCARS Division
Miami Florida U.S.A.
END
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FAQ: How Do You Properly Report Scammers?
It is essential that law enforcement knows about scams & scammers, even though there is nothing (in most cases) that they can do.
Always report scams involving money lost or where you received money to:
- Local Police – ask them to take an “informational” police report – say you need it for your insurance
- Your National Police or FBI (www.IC3.gov)
- The SCARS|CDN™ Cybercriminal Data Network – Worldwide Reporting Network HERE or on www.Anyscam.com
This helps your government understand the problem, and allows law enforcement to add scammers on watch lists worldwide.
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To learn more about SCARS visit www.AgainstScams.org
Please be sure to report all scammers HERE or on www.Anyscam.com
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I went to this site and run into some of the biggest scammers from Ghana . There is something like 35 I found here myself and many have different names on different accounts . They all say they are from U.S.A. but when they give you there e-mail or phone its for Accra Ghana .. And they all love you and want you and will send pics and webcam with on voice for a short time but their computer is old and they could use a new one or even a new cell phone to keep in touch with you and they love to txt all the time :) I reported one to Badoo and nothing was done so Badoo must be part of the scam !! Good Luck Guys and Don’t Send Them Anything !!!