{"id":2736,"date":"2011-02-07T17:06:46","date_gmt":"2011-02-07T17:06:46","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/nclnet.org\/scams_shams_and_predators_online_dating_in_a_digital_age\/"},"modified":"2021-05-26T04:22:50","modified_gmt":"2021-05-26T04:22:50","slug":"scams_shams_and_predators_online_dating_in_a_digital_age","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/nclnet.org\/scams-shams-and-predators-online-dating-in-a-digital-age\/","title":{"rendered":"Scams, shams, and predators: online dating in a digital age – National Consumers League"},"content":{"rendered":"

Valentine\u2019s Day is just a short week away. Rather than spend what has often been called \u201cthe loneliest day of the year\u201d without that special someone, some of the single among us are weighing their options and plotting on how to secure that last-minute date. Over the past few years, an increasing number of singles have been turning to the digital world of online dating, social networking sites, and singles forums to find romantic partners. If popular Internet dating site, Match.com\u2019s, claims<\/a> are to be believed, 1 in 5 relationships now begin online. Internet dating can be a great, low pressure way to meet new people and expand your social circle. However, online mingling comes with its own unique set of risks that consumers should keep in mind this February 14th<\/sup>.<\/p>\n

Sweetheart swindles<\/a><\/strong>: In this scam, a fraudster begins a drawn-out process by setting up a profile on a dating or singles site and wooing potential victims by showering them with affection, quickly professing love, and even going so far as to send small gifts like flowers and chocolate. The romance period can last for several months. Eventually, the scammer will invent some imagined hardship\u2014car crash, medical bills, travel expenses\u2014and solicit their new love for money. Once the kind-hearted victim sends some cash, their new \u201csweetheart\u201d will often begin a cycle of continuous requests for additional funds due to recurring \u201ccatastrophes.\u201d Due to the very personal nature of the scam, many victims are too embarrassed to report the crime even when they have suffered substantial losses\u2014the average victim loses around $7,000 dollars in a typical swindle.<\/p>\n

Child predators<\/strong>: According to Online Dating Magazine, a consumer watchdog publication for online daters, sexual predators can use online dating services to target single parents. These criminals woo single parents and gain their trust and affection to secure what they are really after: access to the children. Online Dating Magazine issued a warning<\/a> about the issue after Parents for Megan\u2019s Law, a child advocacy group, set up a fake profile of a mother with two boys. A registered sex offender named Michael Bradley, who was convicted of abusing a 15-year-old-boy, showed interest in the woman, violating a court order not to seek relationships online.<\/p>\n

Fake dating sites<\/strong>: While most consumers know to be wary of those they meet online, sometimes it\u2019s the site itself that can put consumers at risk. Scammers can be quite technologically sophisticated when it comes to online fraud. There are cases where fraudsters have been known to set up sham dating sites full of fake profiles in order to charge unsuspecting users monthly membership fees. \u00a0Just this month, two men launched Lovely-Faces.com<\/a>, a sham dating site complete with 250,000 fake member profiles the men created by importing data from public Facebook profiles. The site\u2019s creators maintain that Lovely-Faces is a prank designed to expose the dangers of online fraud and identity theft. \u201cFacebook, an endlessly cool place for so many people, becomes at the same time a goldmine for identity theft and dating \u2014 unfortunately, without the user\u2019s control,\u201d the two explained.<\/p>\n

Here are a few tips to keep in mind:<\/p>\n