Online scammers abound: They’re hiding out in your email inbox, in ads on your favorite websites and even sliding into your DMs on online dating websites and apps. By far the largest team at Seeking.com, Customer Support works diligently to filter out users breaking our Terms of Service. We sat down with Seeking’s Head of Fraud Investigation to learn about the most common scams in the online dating world.
Personally Identifying Information
Scammers love personally identifying information. From your address and bank account number to your phone number or even your full name, scammers can turn seemingly innocuous details into gold mines. Wait until trust is established to give out basic personally identifying information or maintain privacy using services like Google Voice, WhatsApp, or Hushed.
Too Good to Be True
If it’s too good to be true, it’s probably not true! Potential partners offering or requesting money before meeting are most likely a scam. Requests for emergency funds due to wild circumstances (e.g., “my car broke down, and my phone AND laptop were simultaneously struck by lightning!”) or offers to “send $10,000.00 provided you just wire a measly $1000.00 to my bank account in return” seem like scams because they probably are!
Reportable Offenses
Listing phone numbers and asking for money in a profile are both examples of reportable offenses on Seeking.com. While our customer support team works diligently to remove offenders before they even make it to the live site, users can help make the website a safer place to play by reporting users with bad intentions. Below is a list of guidelines for reporting on Seeking.
- Use the most accurate “report reason.”
- Don’t falsify reports.
- Don’t report the same account multiple times.
- If you are violating the terms of service and report someone else for violating the terms of service … it’s possible you’ll be booted as well!
- If someone is annoying you but not breaking Terms of Service, block, don’t report!
Get more advice on making the most of the online dating world on Seeking’s social media.
