Open Source Intelligence 101

In this day and age, many people turn to the internet and various dating apps to try and find love. However, it is sad that these online dating platforms have created so many potential victims for online scammers. Online dating scams can affect both men and women, so be sure to look out for these signs! 1. Limit the info you share. Never, ever give out your financial information, this one is obvious, but what’s not so obvious is that scammers will find out about you from your other social media pages and trick you into thinking that you have so much in common. If you suddenly have so much in common with someone, it might be a red flag. 2. Keep an eye out for professions of love. Watch out for someone who confesses their love for you after only chatting for a short while as well as asking for your number so you can chat exclusively. It’s okay if you don’t want to give out your cell phone number or your email address to someone who is professing intense feelings for y...

Let’s face it, scammers are everywhere. On our social media platforms, websites, and emails and even on dating apps and sites, including the ones you may know and trust. Because of online dating scammers, you need to pay attention and look out for these four online dating scam signs… Spelling and grammar errors. If the person you are chatting to is English speaking, but their conversations are full of terrible spelling and continuous grammar errors then be wary. Obviously not everyone speaks English as their native language, but scammers often like to cross borders online in search of foreign victims, so spelling and grammar errors are a red flag. Copy and paste. Some messages and emails may read way too well if so be wary! Scammers love to steal information and content from other dating profiles and just paste them into their own so they don’t have to bother to write their own. If the text looks too perfect, run it through an internet search and see what pops up. ...

Guess what, dating bots are a real thing and falling for one is easier than you think. Online dating is supposed to be fun and convenient, you get to chat with new, fascinating people that could potentially turn into love interests plus it takes away that first-date awkwardness. But it’s never that simple. Dating online has many pitfalls including dating bots that clog almost all the online dating sites you use. Did you know that almost 60% of traffic online is generated by bots? This includes dating websites and social media sites. Online dating bots are specifically designed to chat with you and trick you into paying membership fees on dating websites; they can even trick you into giving out your private information such as your banking details. Here’s how to recognize a dating bot: Their profile picture is a professional glamour shot. They profess their undying love for you a day or two after chatting. They make promises to meet you in person, but somet...

Dating scams cost unsuspecting people money as well as heartache each and every year, but still people continue to fall for the tricks and so online dating scams continue to rise. These cybercriminals will play a long game to cheat you out of your money, rather than using a simple phishing email or scam. If you are using an online dating app or chatting on social media, please be aware that these cybercriminals do exist and you could even dating one! Be sure to look out for these signs to tell if the person you’re dating online is actually a scammer! 1. Suspicious Profile A typical scammers dating profile will have only a few images that have been posted recently. Most often these images are model or glamour stock photos. They’re looking for singles in your area, but they work or live in another country. Be wary if the profile has limited information and only one or two photos. 2. Moving the Conversation Online dating scammers will try their best to move t...