Dating scams are not a new phenomena, but they can be a serious threat to our safety. It’s no secret that I am a regular on Tinder. It’s also not a secret that for the past year all I’ve encountered in the country I currently live in, have been scams.
I’ve revealed a little about my dating history from the past year here and here. As you can read on the latter post, I find Tinder where I live completely useless. Instead, I take every opportunity to schedule as many dates as I can every time I visit the UK. Which thankfully is often.
But dating scams aren’t a country specific issue. They happen everywhere. And that’s why it’s ever so important to make sure we’re all safe before, during and after a date.
Dating Scams And How To Protect Yourself
Don’t be naive
The number one rule: If it sounds too good to be true, it most probably is!
Incredibly gorgeous, model-like photos with all boxes ticked for every woman’s needs described in the bio is a person that doesn’t exist. Seriously!
You might get a match and the talk seems to flow nicely, but when you appear to the agreed date, they don’t. And when you check your dating app, they’ve unmatched you. Okay, this is a better option than actually meeting up with a catfish.
And then there are those types that make you feel sorry for them from the beginning. DON’T! Soppy stories of how they were terribly mistreated by their exes and how they’re so introverted that oh, life is so hard. The sorrow! Except it isn’t.
If one has the need to spill their life’s problems on your lap on the first date, you might consider trying to run a new speed world record.
Use a dating app that ensures your safety
We all know, and probably used all the biggest dating apps. And most of us know that these apps are in no way interested in keeping you safe. One of them even asks you to give your first born child and one lung when you accept their terms. Oh, you didn’t read the terms before you accepted? Oh well…
Thankfully AI has made it possible to create free dating profiles that also want to make sure that your date, for example, is who they say they are.
By signing up at matchmehappy.co.uk you can use advanced search features to browse singles around you in a more secure way.
Read also: I Took Myself Off The Dating Market – Here’s Why
Code word ‘Angela’
Even some bars in the UK have started their own projects to prevent dating scams and disasters from happening on first dates.
A campaign first launched in Lincolnshire told people to go to the staff in a pub and say the word ‘Angela’ in case they wanted to escape a bad date. The staff would then call them a taxi or help them out discreetly.
I honestly think this idea is brilliant and should be in wider use! I could’ve used this couple times myself to get away from seriously unpleasant situations.
Dating has become simpler in a way, what with dating apps giving us a wider array of options than we’ve ever had. But because we do have so many good options available, finding the one good enough becomes more complex.
When you think you finally found it, someone else comes along and (s)wipes you off your feet again. Has this happened to you?
I’d love to hear what sorts of dating app experiences you’ve had in your time? Please let me know in the comments! ♥
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