Those affected are still in the minority, but we don’t want any of the FreeAndSingle clan to fall foul of these fraudsters. You should always exercise caution when meeting people online – we’re here to tell you how:

A surge in online dating scams

The National Fraud Intelligence Bureau reported that there were nearly 4,000 online dating scams in Britain alone last year – a record number. According to Action Fraud, over 39% of those were male. Most scammers themselves are thought to be male but there are numerous women who commit online dating scams too, particularly against men over 50.

Victims are most commonly told of emergencies that entail an urgent need for financial help. This requires a relationship of trust to be established first, with scammers cruelly feigning a genuine romantic interest in their targets. The problem is that while investigators have tracked many of these criminals’ whereabouts to West Africa and Eastern Europe, identifying and charging individuals has often proven difficult.

How to stay safe

Despite online dating scams often being publicised in the news, individual cases are on the rise as people increasingly turn to the internet for love. So how can you ensure that singles you are speaking to have genuine intentions?

Signing up to only reputable sites, like ours, is very important. They should have the proper measures in place to ensure that nobody suspicious slips through the net, and if anyone does misuse the service in any way, then the appropriate action will be taken.

Secondly, be shrewd in establishing whether people you talk to are who they say they are; does their photo look realistic? Are they communicating with you in a way that’s consistent with the style of their profile? And does what they tell you match with the information on there? Crucially, never give out your personal details, such as your address, where you work, or how much you earn.

Protecting our users

At FreeAndSingle, we have a specially-trained customer service team who thoroughly check every profile, as well as using the industry-leading anti-scammer software Scamalytics to monitor all member behaviour and put a stop to online dating scams.

There is also a Report Profile button on each member profile, so you can easily and quickly contact FreeAndSingle if you feel unsafe or notice any suspicious behaviour.

Don’t let the threat of online dating scams put you off joining dating sites; they are still a great way of finding love, as proven by millions. Just be savvy in how you approach the whole process; protect yourself as you would if you met someone in person. Our help pages provide all of the information you need to enjoy online dating with confidence.

The post Beware The Rise Of Online Dating Scams! appeared first on The FreeAndSingle Blog.

Choose a Quality Dating Site

Ok, so we admit that we might not be the most unbiased source to suggest this, but it really is important that you choose a reputable, trusted dating site when you start your online quest for love. A quality site will have thorough measures and procedures in place to screen the database for scammers, and take appropriate action to investigate and root out anyone who is expect to be misusing their profile. FreeAndSingle offers a completely free online dating service for its members, whilst protecting them from situations that can often arise in less secure dating platforms.

Stay Switched On

It’s very easy to gain a false sense of security when talking to someone online, but you should always keep your wits about you when using the internet, for dating or other matters. If someone sends you a first message, you should always check out their profile. This can give clues as to whether they are a real person, or if something isn’t right when you are talking to them. Do they have a profile picture, or if they do, is it a little too perfect? Does their communication seem totally different to the persona in their bio? These subtle but telling signs can help you to notice an imposter early on.

Protect Personal Information

You might be getting on like a house on fire with a man or woman who you’ve been talking to for a few days or weeks. But try to bear in mind that you’ve never actually met this person, no matter how well you might feel you know them. Take caution if they start asking for personal details such as your address, salary, workplace or personal possessions. True, they might be asking how much you earn or what street you live on in innocence, but you don’t want to find out that you’ve been scammed the hard way.

If ever you feel that you are unsure about someone when dating online, it’s better to be safe than sorry. And remember that you can always contact the FreeAndSingle team if you are concerned about your safety online, or think that you are talking to someone who could be a scammer. We’re here to protect you when internet dating, and make your experience as fun, safe and easy as possible to help you find someone perfect.

Photo credit: EP Technology

The post Easy Ways to Avoid Internet Dating Scams appeared first on The FreeAndSingle Blog.

BBC News – Two guilty over match.com dating site scam.

The post BBC News – Two guilty over match.com dating site scam appeared first on The FreeAndSingle Blog.