Don’t know how to spot fake profiles on dating sites? Well, don’t fret. This guide is just what you need to spot fake profiles on dating sites. Lately, it has become quite common that there are tons of fake profiles on dating sites; this is just another device for scammers to deceive people into giving them money.
Based on research, more than 60% of all online profiles are either fake or inactive, and they have used this means to make more than $50 million in a year. These scammers will trick you into sharing your personal information, such as credit card details and other sensitive information. To not fall prey to such fake profiles, you can check out these 13 tips to spot fake accounts.
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How to Spot Fake Profiles on Dating Sites
Here are some necessary tips that can help you tell if a dating profile is fake or not:
1. They Have a Blank Section in their Profile
They seem to have a lack of details on their profile, and this points to the conclusion that their profile is fake. Several dating sites and apps ask their users to fill out a questionnaire that will provide more information about them on their profile. Fake profiles will likely leave parts of their profiles unanswered.
2. They Don’t Have Enough Photos
There are chances that the person is hiding something if they upload only one picture. It can be a fake profile. Scammers will try to make the profile look realistic with a seemingly harmless profile picture.
If their picture looks too perfect or has been staged, then there is a chance that the profile is fake. Fake profiles make use of pictures of headshots taken from Google. You can check out the image on Google.
3. They Don’t Have Many Friends or Followers
Fake dating profiles are typically made for catfishing or kittenfishing, so they don’t bother about gaining followers. You can check the person on Instagram, Twitter, and Facebook; if they have a fake dating profile, there are chances that they are fake across all these social media platforms.
Check if they have a decent number of followers and if the person they are following has a legitimate account. Make sure that you check if they tag any of their friends in the post.
4. They Allege Being Trapped in a Specific Area
If they claim that they are stuck in another country, this is a common scam that they use. They can say that they are abroad and don’t have enough money to travel back, and they can ask you to send them money. This is a major red flag.
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5. They Request to Chat Outside of the Dating App
A scammer will want your details immediately. They will skip the small talk on the dating app or site and then try to get things moving on a different platform. This is their way of moving past the dating app while they get your personal information. Don’t give your details or any other personal information to someone online.
6. Errors in Messages
One of the ways to spot fake profiles on dating sites is how they reply to messages. Most fake profiles are controlled by bots, and they tend to have lots of errors.
The grammatical errors will litter their profile and messages because of the wacky codes or from writing in another language. It is quite common to make a grammatical mistake once in a while, but if the error occurs more often than not, then the page is likely fake.
7. They Ask for Personal Financial Information
If the profile you are chatting with asks for too much of your personal information, then you might want to put a stop to that conversation. If they request your bank information, then they are scamming you. Fake profiles will try to get your information as fast as they can.
8. They Are Completely Flirty
Before they get to know you, they will say that they know you. If you feel like they are moving a little too fast, then this is a sign of a fake account. They will shower you with affection even without meeting you. All this is a way to scam you. Be careful with such profiles.
9. They Can’t Talk on the Phone or Video Chat
Fake profiles will always make a silly excuse to avoid a video call. If you are connecting with someone, you will most likely want to talk to this person, but they won’t reciprocate the same feeling that they are scamming you. They won’t even pucker up when you try to call them.
10. They Give Excuses for Why they Can’t Meet in Person
If they are never making plans to hang out, then you know something fishy is going on here. There is a high chance that they are not who they claim to be.
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11. Automated Responses
Catfishes often use autoresponders to reply to their unsuspecting victims at the same time. If you are chatting with someone and you notice that their responses don’t correlate with your queries, that should make you realize that you’re chatting with a bot.
12. Their Profile Looks Too Good to be True
Scammers’ profiles will make themselves look like the ideal person and their profiles will look a little too perfect. If they have a thriving career or look like models with no flaws, then something is wrong with that account.
When you join an online dating site, be sure to look out for certain things that can tell if the account is fake or not. Make sure that you don’t share your personal details with someone that you just met over the internet.