Internet Dating Scam

Internet Dating Scam 

There are con-artists everywhere and the world of internet dating is no different.  You have to be alert to avoid being taken advantage of by one of the savvy characters.   One of my clients received a response from a man on the internet that was targeting her and her money.  She was astute enough to contact me to get my opinion.  This same scam is happening to men, too.  Often the scam is a man pretending to be a woman when they target men.  

 The man contacted her from another state (first clue) and told her how much he liked her profile.  He told her that he was looking for that one special someone and not to worry about the distance because they could work it out if they were a match (Clue 2: He can build a relationship with her through email and not see her because of the distance.).  

 Next he gave her the sob story about how his wife passed away in a car accident.  He gave lots of details (Clue 3, liars elaborate a lot).  

He used verbiage that is indicates that he is foreign and gives too much detail that he is American! (Clue 4: If you are American born, you don’t elaborate about being born here.)

 I’m in search of my Soul & Dream Mate, Lover, Wife and Life Companion. Let me give you a brief introduction of me. .My name is Carl Nelson White/Caucasian. I’m an American Born Irish, but my mom is a Hispanic American born. .I’m an Electrical Engineer employment with a Master Degree.

 Next, he is indiscriminate about how old you are.  (Clue 5) In the two examples we found, one man was 40 and seeking women from 35-75 years old and the other was 63 seeking women 60-90 years old.  There is something very wrong with this picture.

 He tries to move her immediately to his private email account.  (Clue 6) By doing so, he removes the double bind protection of the website and often people use their names in their email addresses.  He can now do research to see if she is a good target for his game.  He will begin to write lengthy emails that will move quickly to him telling her that he is falling for her.

 Clue 7 is how he signs the email: Lots of love!  He doesn’t even know her but he is already using the “L” word.  

 These people prey on lonely people (both men and women).  They look for someone who has been recently divorced, widowed or never married.  They want someone who is lonely and has money.  They will bait you into a intimate email relationship, profess their love for you and how they want to be with you.  Then, you guessed it, they will ask for money. 

 Please be aware of scams.  You need to look for clues.  If something does not add up, listen to your instincts.  If you don’t you could get caught in one of these scams.

 One of the most important things men and women need to attract the right person is a healthy self-esteem and the knowledge that they don’t need a partner to be complete.  Having a partner is a wonderful bonus to your life.  

Jeannine and Keith Kaiser