2 – Request to Meet in a Public Setting

You can ask them to send a picture of them next to a current newspaper or a screen with today’s date on it. That way, they can prove that they are taking the picture that day instead of stealing it from someone else. You could also ask them to send a photo of themselves doing a specific action, such as sticking out their tongue or touching their nose.

If they cannot send a picture with one of these specific actions, then it is safe to assume that they are not who they say they are. However, they will still try to trick you by making up excuses for not being able to send these photos.

They may say that their phone won’t let them take selfies or that they don’t have anything that says the date on it. As sincere as they may sound, do not fall for these types of excuses.

You can never be completely sure about someone https://hookupdate.net/cougared-review/ if you’ve never met them in person. So, if you are suspicious of someone you’re talking to online, you can suggest meeting in a public setting.

Even though they were probably very forward before, they will likely come up with any excuse they can to not have to meet you there. They may even suggest somewhere more obscure to meet, but do not fall for this. If you have never met this person before, make sure you only meet them in a place that you know is safe.

If they just keep coming up with more excuses every time you decide to meet, no matter how real their answers might seem, they are likely just trying to get something from you without having to actually interact with you in person.

3 – Use a Background Search Service

You can use an online background search service, such as BeenVerified or TruthFinder to check a person’s credibility without having to confront them about it.

All these sites need is a few simple pieces of information in order to find out all public records about that individual. This usually includes a name and location. Odds are, when you search for their name, they will turn out not to be that person or you may find out other bad things about them.

Therefore, if you think your match on a dating site is lying about who they are, you can simply search for them to find out the truth. Then, if the results prove that they are lying, regardless of what they try to say, you should stop interacting with them and keep yourself safe.

4 – Ask Them Specific Questions

Since scammers want to gain your trust and get you to like them right away, they may just agree with a lot of things you say. They will claim to have the same interests as you, so they won’t really reveal anything unique about themselves.

Therefore, if they claim to like something that you like, ask them specific questions about it that only a true fan would know. Also, ask them personal questions that require a detailed answer.

If they respond with general answers to everything, then you can assume that they are not telling the truth. Dating apps are about getting to know people, so most people that you talk to would be more than happy to tell you about themselves. Therefore, if they are unable to answer some simple personal questions, then this is a problem.

5 – Refuse to Give Them Another Way to Contact You

Scammers will likely want to move conversations off the dating site as soon as possible. As soon as they feel like they’ve gained your trust, they will ask for an email, phone number, personal information, or any other means of contacting you. If you have any doubts about them, then you should refuse to do this. Never reveal any personal information or share any identity documents with someone you have just met online. This can lead to identity theft & blackmailing, as detailed out in this article on the federal trade commission website.