How to Recognize and Avoid Mail Order Bride Scams
With the rise in popularity of online dating, many people started wondering whether widely used dating apps and platforms are really secure. According to popular news broadcasters, romance frauds have been on the rise during the COVID-19 lockdown. However, their story backs to the earliest days of the online dating industry. During the past two decades, there were numerous reports about people being swindled out of their life savings. Scammers target men and women alike by offering them what they crave the most—the hope of building a strong and happy relationship. That’s why we decided to analyze the most dangerous dating scams to help you find a way to avoid them.
What is a mail order bride scam?
Mail-order bride scammers come up with a variety of schemes to cheat users of dating websites out of their money. Typically, such a scheme involves the creation of a fake dating profile. When talking to an unsuspecting victim, a scammer might get access to important data, including bank details.
Some scammers use a more advanced approach and create online dating platforms with huge collections of fake accounts. Usually, they charge their clients for talking to women who don’t even exist in real life. The result of both schemes is the same—a person is left with diminished life savings.
The most widespread mail order bride scams
These days, there is a variety of mail-order bride scams that result in people losing their money. Besides, in the early 2000s, there were reports about men dying suspicious deaths after marrying mail-order brides they met online. After that, the industry became more strictly regulated and new safety rules were established.
However, there are still many types of scams that are reported today:
- Mail-order bride platforms created by scammers;
- Fake profiles created by scammers on reliable dating platforms;
- Gold-diggers.
Besides, some platforms that don’t encrypt user data and have poor security measures were attacked by hackers. As the result, the billing information of their clients was compromised.
Risks of using dating websites
When using a dating platform that lists many mail-order brides, you might come across empty profiles or pages with stolen photos.
Many dating sites don’t have in-built video conferencing tools and don’t allow you to get the contact details of a woman you’re interested in without paying a substantial sum of money. Because of this, it might be difficult to check whether a person you’re talking to is real.
When using dating websites, you might meet a scammer, reveal your personal details to a woman who is only interested in your money, or become a victim of blackmail.
Therefore, it’s advisable to select well-trusted dating sites that pay attention to the security of their users.
How to select trustworthy dating platforms
Before signing up for a dating site, read user reviews to learn whether other people were satisfied with their online dating experiences.
In addition, you need to check whether the site allows users to test out its features for free and has convenient voice and video calling tools for talking to other users.
Reliable dating sites also support secure payment methods, such as PayPal and other trusted payment gateways.
How to avoid dating scams
If you are tired of meeting people who are only after your money, you need to follow several simple rules that will help you recognize potential scamming behavior.
- Don’t contact empty profiles or accounts with overly edited photos.
- Avoid women who immediately start asking you about your financial situation or share sob stories begging for some money.
- Never ever share your bank details with other people.
- When arranging a trip to another country, book plane tickets and accommodation by yourself.
- Don’t send expensive gifts and don’t agree to buying joint property or making mortgage payments.
- If a woman shares with you some information about herself or her family, perform a cursory background check.
Moreover, it’s not advisable to send photos that can be used for blackmailing you. Don’t share your real location or phone number with people you hardly know. What is more, make sure not to share your card security code when talking to women or the members of a support team on a dating site.
Final thoughts
By following the simple tips described above, you can securely use popular dating platforms without worrying that your personal information might get accessed by scammers. While you might still come across some online scammers, you can always report and block them. Besides, modern dating sites have strict user verification policies, which minimizes the risk of being contacted by scammers.
