Is your online date who they say they are?
Online dating is a tricky thing. On the one hand, it’s a great way to meet like minded people looking for love. On the other hand, you have no idea about the person on the other side. People lie all the time in dating websites, and these can range from little white lies about their job, to full blown dating scams! Read below to see what can go wrong, and how to prevent it.
Dating always has its risks, but with online dating, the risk of a nasty surprise, a scam or even a dangerous situation is much higher. If you meet someone in a social setting, you will know them or a friend will, so you can find out about them through mutual friends. When meeting online, however, you’ve got nothing but their word to go on. How do you know if they really work as a lawyer? How do you even guarantee they’re single?
Imagine this… You’ve set up a date with someone that seems to tick all your boxes. Attractive, funny, into the same activities as you. You meet up, and they say they’ve just come from the office and they’re dressed well, but then they realise they left their wallet in the office! Despite previously agreeing to split the bill, you just pay the whole lot and joke that the next one is on them. But after many more dates and excuses, you find out that they never even had a job, and they’ve just been mooching off you!
Or imagine another scenario… You are really hitting it off with this date from an online dating website. They seem really interested, and you keep flirting back and forth, on the phone, by text, by email. You’re deep in the ‘early relationship glow’ and loving where it all seems to be going. Then you get a text from them, but they’ve called you the wrong name! When you ask they brush it off as an honest mistake, but something doesn’t seem right. Then, weeks later, after even more romantic dates and what feels like an honest connection, you get a call from a friend. They just saw your dream date… on a date with someone else! It turns out you ‘perfect match’ has been dating many other people at the same time!
Stories like these, and many others, are sadly very common in the online dating world, and it can happen to anyone. So what can you do to make sure this doesn’t happen to you?
Knowledge is the key. The more you know about the other person, the less of a risk you face of being lied to or taken advantage of. You can know what you’re getting into, and if it’s bad, you can chose to not bother and move on to another date.
By doing a bit of a background check or surveillance on any potential serious dates or relationships that you’ve met online, you can stop any of this from happening. You don’t want to be one of the many cases of people that have been taken advantage of, lied to or even scammed by their online dates. If something doesn’t feel right, it probably isn’t.
Our detectives can help you find out the truth about your potential date, and provide you with the details you need to make an informed decision while navigating the murky waters of online dating. Read more about what we can do for you, or give us a call on 1300 721 715 or email info@eliteinvestigations.com.au to talk to an investigator about your concerns.