Technology is both boon as well a bane. On the one hand, it has made it easier for people to connect across the world. On the other hand, cases of cybercrime have been upticking. Every other day we hear about a new kind of online scam.
Recently, many reports have come to the fore that scammers are resorting to dating platforms like Tinder, Bumble, OkCupid etc. and extracting money by taking the advantage of emotions. Today, in this article we will see how scammers are hunting their targets on these platforms.
How do scammers trap users?
Scammers try to lure users to dating apps with false names and photos. They make bio very attractive to entice users. After making friends on the app, these scammers talk through chat for a long time, say a week or a fortnight.
Online romance scammers try to win the trust of the victim, for which they use various methods. They try to win the heart by sending flowers, gifts and chocolates and even setting the date of the meeting. While scammers ask for as much personal information as possible about the victim, they reveal very little about themselves.
Once they get the trust of any user they pretend to have an ostensible financial problem. In most cases, these scammers ask for a petty amount and promise to return it later. Once the money is transferred, both the scammer and his account disappear.
Notably, these scammers ask for little money so many people often ignore to report the case of cheating.
An emotional ransomware!
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Cyber security firm BullGuard has called these romance scammers ‘dead-eyed sharks’. The firm has said that these scammers take advantage of the emotions and trust of internet users. Falling in love is indeed a great feeling, but one must never lose his/her rationale. So, one must be vigilant all the time while dealing with online things.
How can you avert any such situation?
- First of all, before making a new friend online, you must check the veracity of his/her profile thoroughly. Do not add anyone on your list desperately.
- If your online dating partner is asking so many details about you in a short span without revealing much about him/her, then you must tread further carefully.
- Never share any personal information, especially financial information.
- After meeting on a dating app, scammers ask for chatting on other platforms and ask for an email or phone number. Do not share your phone number, email address and other social media handle with anyone you just met online.
The right way!
If you are really interested in online dating, possibly try the premium membership, as there are more verified profiles. When you have a match with someone on the dating app, talk to the person for a long time, understand each other and divulge personal information once you are satisfied that the profile is not fake. You can use voice or video calls to determine the true identity of a person. At last, avoid any financial help before meeting your online partner in-person.
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