| Deceptive individuals and organized groups of online | | | | 2/ They are over affectionate in their first instance |
| criminals target vulnerable singles on dating sites | | | | of establishing contact, especially if they bring up |
| everyday. These people are career criminals | | | | marriage and profess their love for you. |
| otherwise known as professional online con artists. | | | | 3/ Be wary of anyone that asks you for money |
| There is no level they will stop at in order to achieve | | | | online even if you have been communicating with |
| their crime and will almost always involve stealing | | | | them for weeks or months. These people are very |
| money using various tactics. The vast majority of | | | | aware they need to gain your trust before they ask |
| these online criminals will operate from a foreign | | | | you for money. |
| location in order to evade authorities. Australia has | | | | 4/ If you establish an online friendship you can help |
| taken an initiative to combat online fraud in both | | | | safe guard yourself by taking notes about details you |
| social and business scenarios setting up an online | | | | chat about including notes from their profile and |
| location to report deceptive online behaviour. | | | | every now and you can test them by asking |
| The quality of the online dating site you join can | | | | relevant questions to see if their information is |
| often determine the level of unwanted | | | | consistent. |
| communications. International online dating sites that | | | | 5/ A sign of whether you are befriending a married |
| except members from any country are likely to | | | | person or an online criminal can also include long |
| contain a high number of online criminals. Sites that | | | | delays in receiving email replies and offering you |
| cater for country specific singles can police the | | | | weak excuses as to the nature of the delays. Lets |
| members that join up by banning ip address from | | | | face it, if you were the only person in their life they |
| certain countries that have a reputation for deceptive | | | | would be just as keen as you and would be showing |
| online behaviour. | | | | stronger interest. |
| Free online dating sites are also a target for this | | | | 6/ After you have established an online friend and |
| group of people and with more and more free sites | | | | you want to make sure they are on the level, ask |
| emerging opens the door for more opportunities to | | | | them for a more recent photo and compare it to the |
| commit fraud on unsuspecting singles. It comes down | | | | one on their profile. Don't except any excuse such as |
| to how professional the dating site is, what level of | | | | "I don't have a scanner" or "I don't own a camera" - |
| abuse protection is offered to their members, and | | | | That's just rubbish! If they were on the level they |
| sites with good customer service are often a safe | | | | would work something out. |
| bet. | | | | Online dating has exploded into the singles market in |
| You should be suspicious if you are contacted by | | | | the last 5 years and there are hundreds of thousands |
| another member displaying the following scenarios. | | | | of marriages forged every year as a result, so by |
| 1/ They make no reference to you personally and it | | | | and large, meeting singles online is an extremely viable |
| appears like a general type of comment. This can | | | | option, just be cautious in your pursuit for romance |
| mean the same message has been copied to multiple | | | | by using some of our suggestions. |
| members including you. | | | | |