Online dating has taken off in a way few people thought possible. Even industry insiders are pleasantly surprised at how far it has come in a relatively short period of time. But they are not the only ones who are pleasantly surprised.
"Scam artists are always looking to exploit vulnerable people, which is why dating services can be prime targets for financial ripoffs". Those are the words of Mindy Bockstein; Chairperson and Executive Director of the New York State Consumer Protection Board.
Online dating has come a long way from being initially thought of as something only "losers" would participate in to a multi billion dollar business which has been widely accepted into the mainstream. That's explosive growth for an industry that is still relatively new. And running in the shadows is a group of people who have made a considerable fortune from internet dating online. The scammers.
Some scams such as the ones originating from Nigeria or the Russian mail order bride swindle have become running jokes in some quarters. But it is no laughing matter to the victims of these hoaxes or any other internet scheme.
It's a given that for any scam artist online or off to be successful, they must have the skill to manipulate the system. And like the offline world, when it comes to internet dating that expertise must also be coupled with their ability to manipulate their victim's emotions.
It can start with a phony photo of a good looking person. The purpose of which is to catch your interest and set your heart to racing. Contact is made and you find out the two of you have so much in common. You like hiking; so do they. You like obscure songs from the nineteen eighties; they do too.
Once that connection is established then they turn up the volume. Seemingly out of nowhere they start talking about love. It gets pretty intense and relentless. At first you may be taken aback but the constant flattery, reaffirming of that "mutual bond" and the appearance of them opening themselves up to you can easily have your emotions spinning out of control.
This is where you need to think logically and put the brakes on your feelings. In fact it should probably be a clear indicator to end communication pronto. Wonderful chats and common connections aside, you do not know this person. Anyone who starts talking about love after a relatively short period of time should raise alarm bells. In some ways it's the equivalent of going out on a blind date and after one hour the other person declares their undying love for you. Needless to say you would want to end that date as soon as possible and cut off all future contact.
You should carry that same attitude online. Unfortunately some people don't. Their emotions are so far out in front that there is no way that common sense and reason can catch up to them. And what is the result? For the people running the Nigerian dating or the Russian bride scams; business is booming.
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