How to Spot Filipina Online Dating Scams
Offline dating comes with many difficulties – something that many know all too well. Fortunately, dating in the Philippines need not be restricted to offline interactions. Filipino online dating is also an excellent option to consider, whether you’re having no luck offline or you’re a traveler who’s in the area. However, online dating also comes with its own set of trials, specifically in the form of online dating scams.
Dating scams in the Philippines also extend to dating apps and websites, which new and old users should always actively avoid. One of the best ways you can evade online scammers is by choosing the right website. It’s best to choose one that not only helps you connect to people you prefer but also has a system in place to keep scammers away.
Filipina Dating Scams: The Signs
Even with safeguards in place, there is a chance that some online scammers are still able to use dating websites despite its security. Worry not – we’re here to help by telling you about the most common dating scams in the Philippines, may it be catfishing or other Filipina online dating scams. Even those experienced with online dating have something to learn here, so make sure to read on!
The pace of the relationship seems too fast
Filipino romance culture is all about taking it slow. As romantics, they enjoy falling in love at a leisurely pace and getting to know their partner gradually in the process. Despite what some may think, this culture also extends to Filipino online dating.
On the other hand, an online scammer aims to get to their goal as soon as possible. The best way to do that is to become emotionally intimate with their partner. The closer they are to their partner, the easier it will be to ask for favors, especially monetary kind.
If your partner says the L-word one or two months into the relationship, you should be wary. In most cases, this is a definite sign of an online scam. People in a relationship need time to get closer to each other. One month isn’t enough time to get to know someone and fall in love with them.
There is such a thing as a relationship going too slow, though. In that case, you just might be being used by materialistic scammers.
It feels like the relationship is going nowhere
If you didn’t know, dating in the Philippines involves the man courting the woman. Most people rely on using gifts and gestures to show their appreciation. If you’re looking to date Filipinas, you should make sure that you aren’t being kept around just for the gifts you give.
One of the most common Filipina online dating scams involves the scammer dating multiple people for the benefits courtship brings them. However, they won’t have any intention of furthering the relationship at all. If you feel like your relationship is at a standstill, make sure to talk with your partner about it. If they give you a vague answer, it might be a sign that you’re just being used for material gain.
They don’t want to meet in person
Anonymity is a scammer’s best friend. Their identity is safe even after their scam gets found out since they have no face to their online name. Escaping is as easy as deleting their account. Some scammers don’t get deterred, rejoining under another name and email. The lack of trails to follow online makes it easier for scammers to take advantage of people on dating apps and websites.
There’s also another reason why scammers prefer to stay online. No matter how nice someone maybe, they will still have expectations of someone they haven’t met. Scammers take advantage of this by letting their partner build an image of their ideal partner in their heads. Meeting in real life ruins the illusion and makes people think twice about the person they’re dating online.
If you’ve become more emotionally intimate with your partner, try to meet them in real life. That also serves another purpose besides checking if they’re a scammer. You’ll also have a chance to deepen the relationship and see if you have chemistry in the long-term.
Staying unknown is also preferable to scammers due to another reason. The online platform allows them to scam multiple people at the same time. Their multitasking leads us to the next characteristic online scammers have – their lack of contact during specific time frames.
Getting in touch with them is difficult
A scammer is usually trying to fool numerous people simultaneously. To keep up their act, they need to schedule their conversations if they want to properly reel in their partners. As a result, they end up being unavailable during certain times of the day.
While you don’t want to come across as too paranoid, you should still stay vigilant. If you notice that happening with your match, you might want to take a closer look at your match’s profile. One of the best indicators of a scammer is a profile’s activity or its lack of one.
It’s hard to see their face online
To increase their reach to potential partners, online scammers craft profiles designed to appeal to as many people as possible. They lift pictures from various social media sites and pose as another person. As a result, they won’t be proactive when it comes to describing themselves or their appearance.
They don’t share many photos of themselves
If someone is an online scammer, chances are they won’t send many pictures, if any. After all, their only sources of photos are the ones that the original owner posts in public.
The best way to check if a person is an online scammer is by looking at the pictures in their profile. If they have very few photos, that’s a cause for concern. It would help if you reversed search the images you do find. That feature can help you determine if the pictures they are using were lifted from a public profile.
Video calls (if any) are usually low-quality
Video calls are far and few for online dating scammers. On the off chance that they do accept a call, they will show as little as possible. To avoid showing any personal identifier, they will have a low-quality video under the pretense of a lousy internet connection.
Of course, such a situation is still possible even if your date isn’t a scammer. Learn to tell whether your partner is being evasive or has a poor internet connection. Call your partner at various times of the day so that a potential scammer won’t have time to set up. If they refuse to answer calls for no valid reason, then it might be the time to break things off.
They ask for monetary assistance
Online scammers take advantage of a person’s kindness by stirring up sympathy and asking for help. Talking about one’s circumstance is alright, but you should learn to discern between a personal anecdote and a sob story.
On the other hand, don’t be so quick to offer money either. There are many ways to help besides providing cash, but a scammer makes it seem like financial help is the only and best option. Be sure to watch out for any of these common reasons online dating scammers ask for assistance.
They need help buying equipment so that they can talk to you
If the scammer is posing as an attractive person, this is likely the method they’ll use. They’ll ask you to lend them money for a webcam so that they can video chat with you. After you give them the cash, they won’t talk to you again.
They always bring up their financial troubles
Sometimes, one’s budget can run tight. A scammer may use that as an excuse to ask for financial assistance for living expenses, such as rent fees and grocery budgets. Once you’ve given them money, there are also cases where they may ask for more under the pretense that what you lent was not enough.
Travel fees are always on you
When you’ve become closer to your partner, a physical meetup is part of a relationship’s progression. However, if you’re in a long-distance relationship with someone, that meeting may be harder to do. Schedules will rarely align, and not everyone has the budget to travel overseas either.
Scammers will use your eagerness to meet as an opportunity to ask you for traveling money. With a few convincingly forged documents and plane tickets, they’ll make it seem like they need a bit more cash before they can go out to meet you.
Emergency medical fees pop up
Accidents need to be attended to immediately. Online scammers take advantage of that urgency with this method. They inform their partner that either they or a loved one experienced a medical emergency, one that will have grave consequences if not remedied as soon as possible. Since there isn’t much time to think about the situation, the unsuspecting person is more likely to send the money instead of risking it.
After all the dating scams we’ve mentioned, Filipino online dating might seem like an intimidating prospect to consider. However, dating scams don’t happen as often as you think. Don’t be too worried that these scams might happen during your first try at online dating.
These are just some things you should keep in mind for a more pleasant, safe, and enjoyable experience. As you meet and get to know many people, you’ll be able to read people better and figure out if they’re online for love or material gain. Sign up today on TrulyFilipino for a rewarding and safe experience online dating in the Philippines.
