According to the Better Business Bureau, many fake dating sites have been tricking people into losing money and personal information. These scam sites are tricky because they look real and work well. They have lots of fake profiles, offer extra things to buy, and even have “customer service” reps. Here’s how you can spot and stay away from these fake sites.
How the dating site scams work
People often find these fake dating sites through online ads or search engine results. At first, everything looks real. They let you sign up using your Google or Facebook accounts, show testimonials, have an “18+ only” warning, and provide links to things like privacy policies, just like a real business.
However, once you set up a profile and give your payment details, fake members of the site will start to contact you. If you want to respond to them, the site will ask you to buy credits or coins, which costs more money. But none of it is real; all the profiles are fake. Even if you try to complain, the customer service you talk to will be fake as well.
A similar scam happens with travel booking sites that offer to book flights or hotels.
How to spot a fake dating site
The more you look at these sites, the more warning signs you’ll see. For example, you might get lots of messages right away, even if your profile is almost empty and you haven’t shared a photo. Many people who message you might not even live near you or they could be much younger or older than your preferred age for dating.
Another clue that a site is fake is poor writing on the site. This can be on user profiles or the main page of the site. For example, one fake site had this odd phrase: “Virtual, lively flirting is great fun and it gives a very individual perspective.” This kind of writing often doesn’t make sense and looks sloppy.
The Better Business Bureau suggests checking BBB.org for reviews and feedback from other customers before you sign up for any unfamiliar site. Also, search online using the dating website’s name with words like “reviews” and “scams” to see what others say.
Always check the website’s URL before entering your credit card information. Make sure you see “https://” and a padlock icon in your address bar to ensure the site is secure.
If you’ve been tricked by a fake dating site, you can report it at BBB.org/ScamTracker.