Every now and then you come across internet dating horror stories that just makes you feel sick. With the vast amount of information available online it’s sometimes difficult to see how people get themselves in to messes that you think could be easily avoided.
I just bumped into a story I found in the New York Daily News which details how a recent widow lost over $500,000 in an internet dating scam. Internet dating horror stories like this make me shake my head in disbelief at how naive some people can be.
This widow had just lost her husband to pancreatic cancer and was looking for some companionship online. She thought she found it bumping into a man who claimed to be in the army who had also recently lost his wife.
They immediately hit it off and began exchanging emails daily. After a bit of time, requests started coming in for a little bit of money and the widow gladly complied. Like all other internet dating horror stories this is the point where things began to turn ugly.
Before she knew what happened, this poor widow had blown through her personal savings, her 401k, and her husband’s life insurance. Once the cash ran out, she took out loans against her house to ensure her new “love” had what he needed.
Online dating security is something that many singles take for granted and it ends up biting them in the arse. The most important thing singles need to keep in mind is that people aren’t always as they seem on the internet.
Once you find someone that you hit it off with it’s really important to meet the person face to face before letting the relationship develop any further. In the example listed in this post, this poor widow could have missed out on a lot of heartache but waiting until meeting her love before getting involved financially.
I think the person that fleeced her out of all of her life savings should be shot but sadly, I don’t know if he’ll ever be found. Without meeting someone in person you just don’t know who you’re talking to. Don’t ever send money or provide your banking information to a person you’ve never met. It seems like such common sense advice but it’s amazing how many people get duped.
If you’re a woman you need to be aware that the “man” you’re developing a relationship with could be another woman looking to scam you. It’s vital that you keep your personal and financial information to your self until you’re completely sure that the person you are talking to is legitimate.
My guide of Internet Dating Tips goes into good detail on protecting yourself from scammers such as the one in this story.
It’s important to follow the advice given if you want to ensure that you don’t become one of these internet dating horror stories that sadly pops up in the news much too often.
