9 Best Ways to Avoid Online Dating Scams

Online Dating has now been here for decades. It’s an easy and fun way for people to date anyone in the world no matter their physical location. But, dating on the web is also a lucrative opportunity for cyber hackers who are out there to make money by fooling others. In this blog, we will outline various online dating security tips to help you safely enjoy, while keeping threats at bay.

• Always check the reputation of the online dating website before getting started. Conduct online research to read reviews, recommendations, etc. given by other users on the website. Also check by calling the support number, if given, to know whether the website is genuine or not.
• It is quite common that someone who is a paid member of a dating portal must be serious about finding relationships. However, on free portals, you might find more people but there are also higher chances of meeting scammers. The choice is yours!
• Avoid putting too many personal particulars on dating portals such as your address, company name, family details, etc as these can be misused. Keep it generic and regular.
• When uploading a picture of yourself on a dating portal, make sure to use a photograph that you have not uploaded anywhere else. This is because scammers can track you on other portals like social media channels via reverse image searching.
• Online Predators generally trap people through sob stories in order to get money from their targets. They may trap you emotionally and ask for your credit card information. So be careful while making relationships.
• Don’t click on any links, attachments, etc sent to you by anyone on the dating websites, as these are malicious content containing malware that gets automatically installed on your system and cause harm to your personal information. Make sure you have an antivirus software installed as it detects and removes malware quickly.
• If the person whom you are dating is declining one-to-one meeting then it is a sign of danger as he/she might be a scammer.
• Never share your personal or sensitive pictures, videos, etc with anyone on the dating platform as they may use that to blackmail you.
• In case you feel uncomfortable talking to someone or find yourself in danger, immediately contact the support staff of the dating website. If that doesn’t help, you should reach the concerned local cyber crime authorities.

Online dating is a good way to find your better half but you should always ensure your safety so that you don’t end up being a victim of an online dating scam.