The dating industry deploys a host of techniques to fend off fraud, from automated defenses that spot suspicious language patterns or block accounts associated with IP addresses from high-alert countries such as Nigeria and Ghana to more labor-intensive policing by human teams. A Match.

com spokesperson says that profiles are immediately taken down if flagged by other members, and the company's customer care team reviews every new profile and constantly combs the site for inappropriate content. Rivals such as eHarmony offer similar protections, as does AARP's dating service provider, HowAboutWe — which, like Match.

Among the more sophisticated verification methods, Brooks says, is the principle of social authentication — in which profile information is matched with data from the user's social media accounts to better verify that the person is real.

See also: Online dating scams target hearts, bank accounts. AARP's Fraud Watch Network is encouraging online dating services to take steps to better keep their customers safe. In June , the group will issue a call to action aimed at the dating industry, urging all companies to adopt more stringent verification and fraud-fighting technologies. You can learn more about this effort and also sign this online petition. For now, it's largely up to dating service users to protect themselves: Don't assume you're safe just because you trust the company or brand.

Before you jump into the online-dating scene, make sure you …. Take the time to understand the online dating service's terms of service. Typically, the company is not responsible for vetting users' identities, or for what those users say or do.

Other language explicitly limits the company's legal liability. Discover great deals and savings with AARP membership. When you first sign up, most dating services will go through the basics of scam avoidance: Don't share personal information such as your address or date of birth, be vigilant about users who ask you to leave the site and use personal email addresses, and never send money — especially overseas. University of Leicester psychologist Monica Whitty emphasizes a more fundamental rule: "If they're not prepared to meet in person within one month, walk away.

While FTC fraud expert Steven Baker acknowledges the dating industry's fraud control efforts, "we'd like them to do more," he says.

He wants the services to be more proactive about contacting likely victims: After a user has been flagged as a potential scammer, the site could reach out to any members that user had contacted, disrupting the con at its infancy.

Industry critics cite other methods to weed out fraudsters, such as screening for images or text repeated in multiple profiles or blocking accounts from IP addresses that don't match the profile's listed location. Since the dating service might not be doing that for you, do it yourself: Run image searches of profile photos at images. com or TinEye. com , and paste suspicious text into search engines to see if it's been used elsewhere.

The other victims of romance scams: men and women whose images have been stolen to create fake profiles. Some oft-used images might be linked to hundreds of scam attempts.

But the fact that we can meet people without leaving our homes can give us a false sense of safety. The risks of online dating are many. Thousands of people have lost their life savings to a romance scammer, but the consequences can go a lot further.

Online criminals have been practicing for years the best tactics to manipulate their victims. Once the scammer earns the trust and affection of the victim, they will ask them to do anything for them. This is where the biggest problem is. In other cases, criminals simply need the victim to click on a link in their email or download an attachment which installs a virus on their computer or device, enabling the criminal access to personal data and passwords.

They have had their identities stolen, been victims of blackmail and extortion, and even more serious crimes. The outcome is most of the times sad and devastating.

Even if there are no financial losses to regret, there is usually an emotional distress caused by the loss of someone they had learned to care for, believe in, and the feeling of being deceived. Sometimes, the result can be a deep depression. Avoiding romance scam does not always mean giving up on online dating and social media.

It does usually require changing your mindset to be skeptical of anyone online, and to seek professional help.

International private investigators help senior citizens who have an online relationship by conducting a dating background check investigation. Get instant access to members-only products and hundreds of discounts, a free second membership, and a subscription to AARP the Magazine. Join Now. The two engaged in a romantic relationship communicating online via Facebook, Google Hangout and email.

The grieving spouse also took out a personal loan, made wire transfers to multiple individuals and before it was over had lost thousands more, the complaint said. The culprits ranged in age from 20 to 55 years old and are Nigerian by birth or heritage. The victim texted Rochet two or three times a day, apparently falling hard. Nobody can pinpoint how many romance scams occur in the U. But available data show the number is climbing.

The Federal Trade Commission, a consumer protection agency, received 16, reports of romance scams in Reports to the FTC for the first nine months on , when annualized, were on track to surpass those from the year before. How to avoid being fleeced? Others agree. Suspect you or a loved one is being scammed? Call AARP's Fraud Watch Helpline. The Dallas-based Match Group owns a host of dating sites including Tinder, OkCupid, OurTime and Match. com, which is one of the sites the alleged scammers used, according to the complaint.

Regal Movie Tickets. Never send money to someone you haven't met in person, and report it if you receive such a request, the statement said.

Fraud cases are climbing as the number of dating sites and apps — and users — grow. Today there are an estimated 25, romance scammers online worldwide, according to one cybersecurity expert. Between 5 percent and 25 percent of online daters could be fakes or scammers, says another.

For example, last December the FBI busted a Chicago-based crime ring that victimized at least 11 people through online romance scams. The alleged cybercrooks met victims through websites and apps, including Match. com, Facebook and Instagram, according to prosecutors. What these scams had in common were budding relationships that started and flourished electronically via dating websites, emails, texts and phone calls, the complaint said. Get instant access to members-only products and hundreds of discounts, a free second membership, and a subscription to AARP the Magazine.

Join Now. The two engaged in a romantic relationship communicating online via Facebook, Google Hangout and email. The grieving spouse also took out a personal loan, made wire transfers to multiple individuals and before it was over had lost thousands more, the complaint said.

The culprits ranged in age from 20 to 55 years old and are Nigerian by birth or heritage. The victim texted Rochet two or three times a day, apparently falling hard. Nobody can pinpoint how many romance scams occur in the U. But available data show the number is climbing. The Federal Trade Commission, a consumer protection agency, received 16, reports of romance scams in Reports to the FTC for the first nine months on , when annualized, were on track to surpass those from the year before.

How to avoid being fleeced? Others agree. Suspect you or a loved one is being scammed? Call AARP's Fraud Watch Helpline.

The Dallas-based Match Group owns a host of dating sites including Tinder, OkCupid, OurTime and Match. com, which is one of the sites the alleged scammers used, according to the complaint. Regal Movie Tickets. Never send money to someone you haven't met in person, and report it if you receive such a request, the statement said.

Older Americans can be targeted because many have a nest egg and time on their hands, he says. Additionally, some older folks are experiencing cognitive decline, so potentially they are more susceptible, he says.

Their motivation? These people are not good. Inevitably a scammer will seek money for things like a hospital or hotel bill, airfare or visa fees, she says. But he also knows well that scammers can — and will — do more than steal your heart. As they tug at your heartstrings, they may be in on a callous, calculating, un-Cupid-like scheme, aiming to bamboozle you out of cash.

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Online Dating Scammers Will Steal Your Heart — and Your Cash. Romance frauds are increasing as fraudsters look to profit off lonely hearts. Facebook Twitter LinkedIn. En español. February 11, Join AARP. View Details. See All Benefits. MORE FROM AARP. Romance Scams AARP's Fraud Resource Center.

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How I Met the Love of My Life. The marriage had been troubled; he was abusive. Share with linkedin. Warning Signs Your new romantic interest sends you a picture that looks more like a model from a fashion magazine than an ordinary snapshot. You know me better than that. When Amy talks about how she fell in love, she always mentions his voice. Think twice if the other party seeks financial help or is evasive.

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