Copy the images your online correspondent has posted to his or her profile, then run them through a reverse-image search engine, such as TinEye or Google Images. The website Scamalytics maintains a blacklist of scammers who use false pictures. A little online stalking can go a long way. Type the name of the person you met online into Google or Bing and see what comes up. You might not be able to surface information like criminal records, but from their social media profiles, LinkedIn page, and other information you find, you should be able to get a sense of whether what they are telling you comports with the facts.
Sometimes, it may be wise to dig deeper. For example, if a person you met online claims to run a business abroad, call the U.
Embassy to confirm that the business exists. If you are asked to send money and feel so inclined, run the whole scenario by someone you trust. Choose a friend or someone from your church or community who is less emotionally invested than you are. Be open to their perspective. If the request for funds is indeed a scam, it may be difficult, if not impossible, to ever recover the money. Please call Member Services at They may even start out having no clue about grammar or punctuation. They make mistakes in that their "story" begins to contradict itself.
Alternatively, they never provide any personal details about themselves.
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They mention things that seem entirely unrelated to the profile they've built up of themselves, or that seem too revealing and even unbelievable. Ask them to meet up. Scammers will never meet you in person, and they will usually express reluctance to do so when asked. If the person with whom you're talking either outright refuses to meet you or bails on your plans multiple times in a row, they're most likely a scammer. Alternatively, the person may ask you to pay for their ticket or means of transportation.
Ask to contact the person via video or voice chat. If the person isn't willing to meet up, consider asking if you can contact them at their number never your own or via a voice- or video-chat app such as Skype.
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If they agree to this, pay attention to their tone and use of language; if their demeanor seems to contradict what you know about them, it's best to walk away. Again, if the person outright refuses to talk to you over an audio or video connection, they're most likely a scammer. Watch out for the catch.
When scammers think they have you on their hook, they attempt to reel you in. This is usually when they will "agree" to meet up or talk to you, but their plans to do so will usually be interrupted by a financial emergency. As a general rule, if the person to whom you're talking asks for money in any context, they're a scammer. Don't fall for phrases like "For this to work, we both have to trust each other" or "I thought you loved me"; this is a form of emotional manipulation. Keep your profile as private as possible. One of the first steps in making your profile scammer-proof is limiting the amount of information they can see.
Most services require you to display your age, a description, and a picture. Outside of those items, you should keep the rest of your profile blank. Scammers require quite a bit of information about you before they can attempt to reel you in, so limiting their leverage from the start decreases your odds of being targeted.
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Don't give potential scammers leverage over you. As such, avoid sending messages that reveal who you are, at least at first.
Avoid sending photos or videos that show friends or family, or that give away your location. Keep your discussions on the dating site. If you're using a dating site that has a built-in chat option as most do , your safest bet is to keep your conversations with the other person limited to the dating site's chat. If the other person suggests moving to email or texting, decline. This will usually allow your selected dating site to review the contents of your messages if you decide to report the other person as a scammer. Keeping discussions within the dating service will also allow you to block the person later if needed without having to block them in your email or on your phone as well.
Avoid giving out your real phone number. If you must move the conversation over to your smartphone, don't tell the other person your number. This doesn't mean that you have to give someone a fake number; there are plenty of free mobile instant messaging services—WhatsApp, Skype, Google Voice , and Facebook Messenger are only a few examples—that can be used to message someone freely without having to compromise your real phone number.
If the person to whom you're talking refuses to use any mode of conversation except your phone number, there's a decent chance that they're more interested in the number than in the conversation. Document your interactions with the person.
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If you suspect that the person with whom you're conversing is attempting to scam you, there are a few things that you can do to ensure that you have evidence against them: Refrain from deleting conversations or other forms of communication. Take screenshots of the conversations. Stop talking to the person if need be. There's nothing wrong with cutting off contact with someone, especially if you think that they might be a scammer. If you have a bad feeling after interacting with a person online, you don't owe them your time. Many dating sites will allow you to block the person to whom you're talking.
As long as they don't have your email address or phone number, doing this will prevent them from being able to contact you at all. If the person becomes unreasonably outraged or sends threats your way, be sure to take screenshots and report the person's profile to the dating service. Report scams to the Internet Crime Complaint Center. Naturally, you should also report the scammer to the site on which you were scammed. What should I do if a man asks for my full name and address so he can send me gifts from overseas? Not Helpful 15 Helpful Pay careful attention to whether there are any inconsistencies in their stories.
Also, beware of anyone who addresses you with "Dear Not Helpful 26 Helpful Should I trust my gut when speaking to a someone through an online dating service? You shouldn't trust anybody online until you have met them in person. This is especially for dating sites. Not Helpful 30 Helpful My online suitor for eight months would like to transfer his account from another country to my account.
It's a big amount. I haven't met the guy before.
I don't believe he could easily trust me since we met only online. Is there a sign of fraud in this? He would need your account info. Once he has that, he can withdraw money from your account. Have him open an account with your bank, and transfer the money to that account. Once that is done, and in time, he can add you to that account. Once you see that all is good, then you could have him transfer it to your account, but I would encourage you to keep separate bank accounts, just in case things don't work out. My gut though, is telling me he is a very patient scammer.
Not Helpful 18 Helpful How long should you communicate on site before giving someone your number? Online isn't the best place to hand over your number. Suggest a meet-up in a public place instead.
Dating & romance | Scamwatch
Not Helpful 1 Helpful How do I get more pictures of someone online who I think might be a scammer? Make this a condition for you two to talk any further. If you pursue this conditional stance, and the other person gets mad or says he's hurt, walk away. The scammer may also claim they want to travel to visit you, but cannot afford it unless you are able to lend them money to cover flights or other travel expenses. Sometimes the scammer will send you valuable items such as laptop computers and mobile phones, and ask you to resend them somewhere.
They will invent some reason why they need you to send the goods but this is just a way for them to cover up their criminal activity. Alternatively they may ask you to buy the goods yourself and send them somewhere. You might even be asked to accept money into your bank account and then transfer it to someone else. Warning - the above scenarios are very likely to be forms of money laundering which is a criminal offence. Never agree to transfer money for someone else.