The Internet is becoming the most popular medium to find a partner as many singles are turning online for dating. Though there are many legit dating websites and apps, in this article we will explain how to recognize the scammy ones.
There are heavily monetized dating sites either for men or women which claim to give a much higher chance of finding you a partner or a “one-night stand”.
These sites are created to quickly make a fortune without having to compete with already established dating sites. When you register and try out the site, you may find a match instantly. This is already suspicious, however, if you`re not sure whether it is a coincidence or a scam, check for the characteristics below.
Types of Adult Dating Sites & Apps
There are two kinds of adult dating sites which may be scamming:
- Subscription services: These require your credit card or PayPal account (or other payment method supporting subscriptions).
- Pay per message services: These are “free” to sign up on but you have to pay a fee in order to contact the “date”.
How to Identify a Fake Dating Site or App
You can spot a fake dating site or app in several ways:
- Appearance: The most common sign of a scam dating platform is an unrealistic number of beautiful women. Most of them will be in the range of 21 to 35 years (or older depending on the target audience) and will “like” you even if you have no profile picture and indicate being 60 years old.
- Pay for identification: You only have to pay $0.01 - $1 to gain access. The transaction is needed to “identify” you. This is usually an easy way for the scammers to get your payment details and charge you repeatedly.
- Positive feedback: If you “match” with these beautiful women, you may receive your first message very quickly.
- Insistence to stay on the platform: When you feel closer to the other person, you may ask to go to a different medium to communicate so you do not have to pay money for every single message you write. However, usually, they refuse by saying they feel safer on the platform.
- Personal answers: Personal answers are usually laconic and evasive to prolong the conversation.
- Refusal to meet in person: When you feel like you are ready to go on a date, the person will find an excuse not to go. Usually, they mention a reason as “let's get to know each other better”.
- Argument: If it happens that you have an argument, the person on the other side will behave in a way to not make you quit, but will not let you win either, so you increase the number of messages sent.
- Occupation: Beware of women or men who state that they have a full-time job, but are found to be online all the time.
Think twice before using any dating website or app that is heavily monetized, or where the ‘dates’ constantly ask for money or gifts. These platforms aggressively try to extort as much money as possible and they are not easy to shut down as the users are willingly paying to use them. They often employ bots or real models to chat with clients and give a false impression that they are romantically interested.
Related Articles
If you are interested in Romance scam, we have a more elaborate article: Dating & Romance Scams
If you have been trapped in a subscription scam or sent money to a scammer, check our section on How to Get Your Money Back to know how you can try to recover your loss.
