An online fraudster is no different from any other one in the offline world. They are either out to get your money or you. Of course, that depends whether they crave money or sex more. Sometimes, it is both, which is why you need to be very careful when dating online. The interesting thing is that most online dating scams have a set pattern. Once scammers realize a system that works they keep using it until the news is out, after which they move on to something new. Unfortunately, in the quest for love some people still fall victim to online dating scams. One classic example is where a scammer sends an introductory message as soon as you sign up with a site. Within the first couple of messages they would request to move off the site and choose yahoo, msn, or google chats, or mobile texting. Once you agree they will remove their profile in a day or two, citing true love for you as their main reason to do so.

There are so many red flags you can spot in these online dating scams. Their main aim is to get you off the site so that they can begin to fleece you. Scammers are creative and have plenty of cover stories up their sleeve. Don’t fall for anyone who claims to have fallen in love with you in less than a week. This is something that needs thorough investigation. They could also pursue you to meet a couple of times and take the relationship to a physical level and then disappear. Date safely. That is the golden rule.

It doesn’t take rocket science to tell you that there are online dating scams you need to avoid. Just like the real world you can be a victim of online scams. You could have a so called potential date tell you they need money for a sick mother or need urgent funds to bury their grandpa. Scammers can be quite creative when it comes to finding ways of squeezing out dollars from you. One of the biggest online dating scams is where this gorgeous chick asks you for airfare to come and visit you, while you only end up going home alone from the airport with the added expense of airport parking fees to add salt to your wounds. The golden rule is to refrain from giving cash no matter what.

Common sense and your gut instinct will help you stay away from online dating scams. Just look for signs every step of the way. No serious dater will every ask for any type of monetary help from you so don’t end up being a mere statistic of online dating scams. Check for red flags in the profile closely. When you chat online, you can identify if someone is serious about dating from the manner in which they respond to your queries. Just make sure you don’t fall for sob stories. Scammers will always do that to get your sympathy. The plain truth is that people who are after your cash will ask for it at some point of time. So beware and don’t be deceived.