How to Spot a Fake Dating Profile

How to spot fake online profiles

There are a lot of “red flags” that can indicate a fake profile and that someone is a scammer rather than a potential romantic partner.
If the profile or the person behind it is guilty of any of the following, it may be a fake profile and part of an online dating scam:

1. Fake online profile power words

These keywords found in the majority of fake online profiles include the words Catholic, widowed, female, Ph.D., Nigeria, engineer, self-employed, and Royalty.
If you see any of the above words emphasized on a profile there is a chance that it belongs to a scammer and is fake.

2. Nonsensical messages

Drunk messages are one thing, but fake online profiles run through robotic messaging systems tend to make little to no sense.
Most of the fake profiles belong to either robots or non-English speakers.
According to a study, many romance scammers originate in Western Africa in countries like Nigeria or Ghana.
If you can’t carry on a conversation with an online dating site user, that should be a red flag even if their profile is real!

3. They only have one photo

Photos are one of the most important aspects of your online profile. Having only one photo can be a major red flag, especially if the person is extremely attractive in that one photo.
Fake online profiles are usually designed to be appealing so that people are much more likely to engage with them.
Be wary of that guy you swear you saw in a Calvin Klein campaign or that woman who should be a Victoria’s Secret model.

4. They have empty profiles

It’s important to read through profiles carefully.
Not only will you spot red flags in real profiles, but empty profiles or profiles that might as well be empty often belong to a fake online profile.
This is also why it’s important to keep your own profile in tip top shape. High-quality profiles are appealing to real people.

5. Empty social networks

If you genuinely want to keep only close friends in your social profiles, then there’s no judgment here.
But that bikini-clad model with, you guessed it, only one photo and 60 friends on Facebook is probably fake.

6. They’re famous or royal

Celebrities, princes, and archdukes can all be found through online dating sites. Unfortunately, they are not generally real celebrities, princes, or archdukes.
Most commonly found are fake online profiles claiming to be African princes.

7. They’re way too forward or flirty

Many online dating scams come in the form of porn and prostitution.
If you’re receiving steamy messages from someone you’ve never met or spoken to, don’t be surprised if they ask you to pay for their photos or to enter their website soon thereafter.

8. They request your personal information

Whether they’re trying to steal your credit card number or your identity, an online dating profile requesting your full name, address, phone number, or social security number is not someone you want to continue talking to.

Paying on Dates -A man's perspective

Dating is fun but tough sometimes. One of the biggest is when to pay and when to share. To me the first date the man tends to pay. The dates after that are questionable. 

There’s no bigger turn off for me than someone looking for a free ride (pardon the pun).

Historically, the gentleman has been responsible for covering the expenses. However, after a few dates, guys get tired of always paying. I personally appreciate it when the lady at least offers to pay or pitch in at some point. You can’t pay for everything, forever as the guy.

It’s actually a deal breaker for me. If the female doesn’t offer to at least buy a round of drinks by the fifth date, then you might want to watch out, because she clearly is expecting you to pay for everything in the long run.

Money, budgeting, debt, credit score, and so on. These are all sensitive topics when it comes to first date conversations. This is why I had to write about money and dating today. These are not topics you’re going to want to mention in your Tinder profile.

What do men really think of money and dating?

At the beginning, we usually don’t care. Actually, I don’t care at all on the first date. I doubt that any of my buddies care about your credit score either. We just want to get laid. We just want to have fun. Most of us don’t have six months into the future and a college fund for the kids.

In the long run, money becomes everything.

It also comes down to what kind of guy you are. Some guys don’t mind spending their paychecks on dating. Others are more frugal. I like to pay for dates, but I’m not a sponsor who’s looking to buy gifts and be on the hook for every single expense. My financial goals come first.

How important is money when it comes to dating?

When you get serious, money becomes everything. Money determines what you do for fun, what you eat, where you live, and how you live. Money is the deciding factor in every decision that you make as a couple.

Every couple would love to spend their holidays in Aruba. This isn’t The Notebook. If you’re broke and frugal, your girlfriend with expensive taste might not find it so charming.

Before you get serious you need to have the money talk.

It’s not comfortable and budgets aren’t the best type of dirty talk, but you need to get this over with. You need to know where both partners stand. Just please don’t discuss money when aroused.

With that being said…

I’ve had relationships ruined by money beliefs.

I won’t sugarcoat it. I’m a huge fan of investing in myself, but I’m also frugal when it comes to courting. I don’t mind a weekend getaway, a hotel room for the night, or a fancy dinner once in a while. I just don’t want to do these things frequently. I would much rather train or invest money into my business. I don’t want to spend every single penny on dates and spoiling my girlfriend. I don’t see the point in that. This gets me in trouble with every relationship.

It’s YOUR journey.

“When you believe in a thing, believe in it all the way, implicitly and unquestionable.” – Walt Disney

You have to remember that it’s your journey and your journey alone. Friends will come and go. Romantic partners will enter, stick around, and then turn into complente strangers. That’s okay. At the end of the day, you have to do what’s best for you. You can’t compromise who you are. You can’t bend. You can’t throw all of your goals out the window because your current partner has different views.

For example, I have a friend who disappears whenever he finds a new girlfriend. He jumps all in. He stops working out, doesn’t respond to his buddies, and spends all of his money on her. Then when it ends, he’s confused and pissed off.

I’m here to remind you that it’s okay to be a little selfish sometimes. You have to do what’s best for you. Money is very important when it comes to your relationships. Please don’t let anyone tell you otherwise. You can ignore it at first, but the topic of money will always creep up into conversation.

 Referenced from: https://stefanieoconnell.com/money-and-dating/#comment-13505