There are different types of romance scammers out there on dating websites and apps. There are men or women impersonating the other sex or just a person trying to first know you so that they can take emotional advantage that will help extract monetary benefits. Romance scams start from a harmless 'hi' and lead to either some sort of monetary loss or worse still, emotional damage along with your bank account losing some or much of its balance. 

The smart thing for anyone seeking dating, love, relationship or chat through a dating site is to know about Romance Scams and learn how to spot a scammer right from the start of the introduction. A romance scammer who is impersonating will usually try to

So you join one of the known and famous dating apps, that is advertised vehemently everywhere from online to television. Will you find only verified and trustworthy singles there? Highly unlikely. There is one thing about the romance scammers that online daters should never forget - They are always one step ahead of both the online platforms and the genuine date seekers. 

Like mentioned earlier, it is not just the impersonators that you have to be careful about, it is emotional prowlers who can cause the most damage, especially financially. Many dating apps are finally taking such fake profiles seriously and using some sort of verification to give a perspective to the singles about the identity of the man or woman behind the profile.

To catch up with the romance scammers like a man sitting in one part of the world and creating a profile as a woman in the USA or UK and then contacting vulnerable single guys in these countries, dating apps use features like video verification and photo selfies. These have to be verified manually or through AI to make sure that the photos in the profile matches the live snapshots.  

If you happen to search for a dating app, then make sure to ensure that such vetting features are available so that you at least know that impersonation is taken care of. This filters out the direct romance scammers. The next group to be careful about is the emotional scammers. Make sure that you understand that the online dating apps give a way to start dating and then fall in love or start a relationship. To directly become emotional is something that one has to be careful about. Use video calls to establish rapport, but stay away from lovey dovey feelings before getting attached.

Having chat sessions, sending messages of different sorts, opting for video calls at a later time in online acquaintance is all fine, but sharing your financial background, property details, family members finances and such things have to kept under wraps. Getting asked for financial help? Sob stories coming too often? These are signs of someone who may be trying to take you for a ride. Anybody seeking financial help or benefits even before meeting and you two knowing each other, is a warning sign of romance scam in the making and has to be taken care of. 

Arrange for a date or meeting to gauge the type of relationship that is being expected. Say a no to financial help and then see how the response is. Giving gift money or tips to models voluntarily is allowed for sure and falls in a different category other than romance scam. Online relationships are always tricky but with relevant care, you can surf the storm.