Online Dating Scams… Revealed!
Do you know who’s behind the profile? When dating online, you’re not just running the risk of being lied to, you could get unknowingly caught into an online scam, losing money, privacy, or worse! After years of investigating, we’re here to teach you the tricks of the scam artists so you don’t fall victim.
When dating online, you always know there’s a risk that your date is lying to you. After all, who doesn’t add a few white lies to their profile to sound a bit more interesting? The problem is, sometime the lies are more than just exaggerating their job title. Sometimes the lies are part of a complex and clever system designed to cheat you. Here are a few of the more common ones our private investigator in Sydney/Melbourne comes across.
The Money Scam
The person will lie and put up appearances to imply that they have a lot of wealth. Once they have you convinced that they are good for it, they’ll come up with some crazy story as to why they need to borrow a large sum from you. Maybe they’ll say they’ve lost their wallet, maybe the’ll spin a story about a mistake at the bank that has frozen their accounts. Either way, they say they need a loan to tide them over. Do not believe them. Repeat! Do not believe them!
Lesson learned: Don’t lend money to a new partner unless you’re willing to lose it.
The Identity Scam
They get very close to you. You have great long winding conversations. You seem to get personal very quickly, and you find yourself sharing information with them you never share with people. They send you links to questionnaires and other such things. Then suddenly, they’re gone, and you’re facing credit cards, loans and whole host of other issues for things you never did. That’s when you find out they’ve stolen your identity!
Lesson learned: Don’t share personal details, and don’t trust links that are shared with you online
The Mule Scam
You might get really close to someone, and it seems like they lead a very exotic and interesting life. they talk about big deals or dealing with large shipments of valuable items. Then the scammer will ask you to do them a favour and ask you to transport something for them. They will tell you a story about a client that lives right near you, and you’re the person they trust most. Then they send you something valuable like a laptop or phone, and ask you to resend them somewhere, or they might ask if they can transfer money into your bank account and then transfer it to someone else. Whatever excuse they give for this, do not believe them! They are getting you to engage in criminal activity on their behalf. YOU will be the one to go to jail.
Lesson learned: Never agree to accept or transfer money or goods on behalf of someone.
So what can you do to make sure your true love isn’t just a scam artist?
You could stay away from online dating altogether, but then you’re missing out on the millions of genuine and eligible dates. The other way to be sure is to hire a private investigator. If the surveillance comes back that they are who they say they are, you can get rid of any nagging doubt in the back of your mind and leap into the romance with abandon. If our Sydney/Melbourne private investigators find out they’re not who they say they are, or have a shady past, then you can walk away unscratched.
Don’t become part of the online scam statistics. They have fooled doctors, lawyers and scientists, and they could fool you too! Our private eyes can help you find out who you’re really talking to. Give us a call on 1300 721 715 or email info@eliteinvestigations.com.au to see how we might be able to put your mind at ease.