Online Dating has become very successful within the last decade.
Successful for the investors and for the users and, sad to say, successful for the scammers also.
It is inevitable - with the amount of users - that some fraudulent activities are going to occur.
You will need to prepare yourself for the online dating world by practicing some common sense.
Read up on the common scams for online daters and arm yourself with valuable knowledge that will keep your money in your pocket and your heart in the right place.
Fortunately, with online dating, the majority of online daters are honest and trustworthy with only a very tiny minority having nefarious intentions.
Be aware of anyone who wants to meet in person immediately.
There should be a period of time of online chats and phone calls before meeting another person offline is even considered.
When you do meet up with someone, it is imperative that you do not leave your personal belongings alone with him or her at any time.
Being left alone with personal belongings is an easy way to steal credit cards or some other personal information.
These may not be missed for several days.
Also, with online dating, one must be vitally aware of people who send you links.
Never click on a link unless you know what it is and certainly never download any programs to your computer which others are sending you or they may have in their profiles.
This is an easy way to send spyware programs which may steal information from your computer such as passwords and credit card numbers.
Similar to the Online Dating scam above, there is another scam which is not done by the Online Dater, but by the online dating service itself.
An online dating service which is not well-known or which has only recently been established, may use your credit card number or personal information for themselves.
Being on the internet, these unscrupulous companies can easily disappear and it may be a long time before your money is found - if at all.
Ensure you always read the terms and conditions before you sign up and give your details just to make sure there is no clause that gives them permission to use your personal information in any way.
This includes your email address.
Last, but by no means least, you ought to be concerned if an online dating contact asks you to cash money orders or checks.
Online daters have been scammed into cashing these checks and then wiring the money to their online dater.
These checks may have been stolen, or bought for a small amount, and then altered.
Eventually, these people will get caught out and the trail could lead to you and you will then be responsible for owing the bank.
The smartest thing to do is to stay out of any financial matter, no matter how appealing or trustworthy your online date may seem.
This article has not been written with the intention of scaring you off online dating, but rather with the good intention of making you aware of what has happened to some in the past.
From previous bad experiences of other people - sad as it may seem - the present and future experiences for people can be made safer and enjoyable.
By being smart and using common sense there is no reason why you should not enjoy the pleasant experience of online dating.
Thankfully, these scams are rare, as most people now realize how vulnerable they can be on the internet.
After all, you would not leave your front door open and your valuables in view when there are millions of people passing by every day.
It only takes one with wicked and criminal intentions to enter and take what they want.
Don't leave yourself exposed to online dating scams.
Be safe, be confident and, above all, be happy with your online dating.