Staying safe online should be at the front of all our online activities and there are the two words we would like you all to remember at any time you are online – on a dating site, or any other site… RED FLAG!
RED FLAG – The sign of danger!
Generally speaking, we like to keep things simple, colourful and all nice and easy but there is a very serious side to being online, especially when wanting to get to know and meet new people.
If you are looking for someone to date on our site, or anywhere else on the internet, please read the following advice. It could save you a whole load of trouble and upset and when we say ‘read’ we mean seriously take in this information and never forget it – it could save your life!
We can’t emphasise how important it is to be aware of your online presence and the people who may be online with you. It’s all very well thinking you’re on a safe website, and it’s all good because it might be a well known brand etc. but in truth, no website can truly know the intentions of anyone who visits it, whoever it may be and the best person to protect yourself is “yourself”.
But to do this as effectively as possible, you have to educate yourself to the potential risks, and we are quite serious when we say: there are some sick individuals online nowadays!
Whenever someone comes into contact with new people (strangers at this point) there will always be a chance of meeting someone with ill-intention and online, this chance is greatly increased by the options available to someone with these intentions.
Options such as hiding behind a fake photo, hiding behind profile information which might not be true, hiding behind a VPN (Virtual Private Network) which can hide their real IP address therefore masking their real location and there are many more.
We want all members on our site to be as safe as possible and we implement various measures in order to do this but there will always be someone, or some situation that allows another person with ill-intent to get past the measures we have in place.
Furthermore, sometimes, members inadvertently allow themselves to become victims for one reason or another. Reasons such as falling into the ‘wrapped up in the moment’ situation, or maybe a one-off lack of concentration, or even being too naive, or ignorant to the dangers of the internet which could result in allowing someone with ill-intent to get through to further their activities.
* We refer to these possible situations as ill-intent but what we are talking about here are scams and criminal intention!
Staying safe online requires us to be aware of all the potential scams that criminals could try to con us with.
For most of the time, as long as you apply just a small amount of diligence, the worst issue you will come across is fake profile images but there are many other much more serious situations that you could encounter and to stay safe online, you need to consider the following at all times you are online.
We want to bring to your attention, the possible risks involved in meeting new people online and what you can do to reduce these risks and protect yourself when online (or offline for that matter).
The reasons why people do the things they do, the reasons don’t matter, what is important is that you are prepared for any situation that could crop up when meeting strangers online.
We don’t want to put you off being online, but rather, just to make you aware of the potential risks.
This is our list of potential situations that you may encounter when meeting new people online and how to protect yourself against them or deal with them if they ever crop up.
FAKE PROFILE IMAGES
Many people noways feel the need to use a fake image when they join a dating site. There is absolutely no need for this and in most cases it points to the fact that the member behind that profile image will have an ulterior motive.
If you are shy and don’t want to display your real photo to the world – just don’t use an image! Simply explain in your profile somewhere that you have a photo to send in chat once you have got to know and trust someone – it’s as simple as that!
Some members might not have a profile image because they might be married and do not want their real photo to be seen online, so not having a profile image could be classed as a RED FLAG!!
Using an image of some vague object = RED FLAG!! Nobody wants to see a field, or a car as a profile image!
* At dreamdateuk, if we find any member that is using a fake image, we delete their profile immediately.
If someone is using a profile image which is not them, they are lying and therefore, untrustworthy!
What can you do about fake profile images?
There are a number of types of image commonly used for fake profile images.
Stock Photos – Stock photos are often used for fake profiles. These professionally taken images are easily accessible online for free and can look quite authentic but they often lack the personal touch and uniqueness of a real user’s photo.
Other people’s profile images – Most commonly taken from another website, some people simply steal photos from other peoples social media pages, or even from other dating sites. In this case, the images will appear real because they are, but are stolen and being used without the consent of the person pictured.
Celebrity/Public figure images – Some people use images of celebrities, public figures, or even influencers. These type of images are usually quite easy to find in reverse searches.
AI generated faces (Deepfakes) – With advancements in AI, generating realistic human faces that don’t belong to real people has become possible. They are still fairly easy to spot due to the pure clarity and seemingly perfect imagery. AI-generated images are increasingly used as fake profile images as they are harder to trace back to a real individual.
If you are interested in someone and want to check if their profile image is genuine, there are a few things you can do.
Videochat
For staying safe online, one of the best things you can do is to ask the other member to do a videochat with you. We think this is the best possible way to check an image is real. You connect on videochat, and on the other end, is (should be) the person in the profile image.
After chatting for a while, if someone refuses a videochat, this is an immediate RED FLAG!
Any genuine person looking to meet up with another would want to see what the other person looks like in real life.
If they don’t – they have something to hide. RED FLAG!
Reverse image search
If you want to check an image before you even start chatting, there are some things you can do such as using search engines like Google image search. Simply drop the image into the search box, upload the profile picture or paste its URL (the web address) into the search bar. The search engine will then scan the internet for similar images. If anyone is using a stock photo, this will usually turn up in images searches.
Image quality/appearance
If you are not able to do this kind of thing, this is a slight disadvantage but you can still check the image yourself for discrepancies, either with the information given on the profile or maybe the quality of the image resolution. Images that are overly polished, resembling stock photos or model shots are probably fake.
Alternatively, extremely low resolution images could also be a RED FLAG as they may have been copied/screen printed and re-saved many times over and this loses image quality. Nowadays, most people have a phone which can take perfectly clear images.
Also, look for inconsistencies like mismatched lighting, unusual cropping or filters that seem to mask the photo’s originality.
Internet presence
A genuine profile usually has a consistent presence across various social media platforms. Check online to see if the person has a LinkedIn, Twitter, or Instagram account with a similar image.
A lack of presence on other platforms, or significant discrepancies in the information provided, can indicate a fake profile.
MISSING SECTIONS IN A PROFILE
To help with staying safe online, check a members profile sections carefully. Lack of profile details usually means a RED FLAG! Fake profiles and scammers will usually leave big parts of their profiles blank usually with the excuse that they will get round to completing it later or that they didn’t have time. If their name, age, and location are the only parts completed, chances are they’re fake!
THE DIFFERENT COUNTRY, SEND ME MONEY SCAM
Scammers often use the excuse that they are stuck in another country for various reasons. It’s a common scam used to try and get money off you. They say they’re on a business trip and don’t have enough money to get back home, or they can’t access their bank account in that country, or they’ve had their wallet stolen etc.
If anyone that you’ve never met asks you to send them money – for whatever reason – DON’T! It’s most probably a scam.
If you are on the dreamdateuk website and another member asks you to send them money for whatever reason – inform us IMMEDIATELY on: admin@dreamdateuk.co.uk and we will immediately investigate the profile and take any necessary action.
ASKING TO GO OFF THE SITE TO CHAT
This is another common scam. In chatting, the scammer will try to get you to move off the site to try and get your personal email or phone number and other sensitive information from you.
They will often use ‘free chat’ as the reason to move to another platform, maybe saying that its better there or whatever.
This won’t work on dreamdateuk because we already offer free chat so there is no reason to move!
Regardless of the circumstances or reasons given, NEVER give your email, phone number, or any other personal information to anyone that you have never met or got to know!
So… “Can we move off the site to…” = RED FLAG!!
MESSAGES WITH LOTS OF GRAMMATICAL ERRORS
Here’s another one to be very wary of. Staying safe online requires you to know the difference between a few spelling mistakes such as phone auto-correct errors and a total lack of English grammar. If you receive messages from another member that contains lots of spelling errors, it could be a fake profile, particularly if the type of messages also accompany a profile with most of the sections missing. Many scammers, particularly from poor countries, have very little education, and English grammar is a prime example.
Also, if the messages you receive begin with “Hello dear” or similar… this is another RED FLAG!! We just don’t greet someone in the UK with “Hello Dear” … especially for a first message.
Just to confirm…
“Hello Dear” = RED FLAG!!
LINKS IN MESSAGES
Staying safe online also means being careful with any links you may receive. If you receive a message from another member, that contains a link to some other site, especially in short-form (which can hide the true URL) – don’t click it!
Unless you have got to know the member very well, have spoken a number of times and feel comfy with the situation, it’s best to leave URL links. They could contain viruses or be a link to a page which could get your personal details.
Links in messages = RED FLAG!!
FINANCIAL SCAMS
These are wide spread and cover all sorts of fake situations. We can’t list them all here because there literally are so many however, the simple one rule to remember if anyone asks for any money is… DO NOT SEND THEM ANY!
It could be “Please send me a £10 voucher…” or “I will pay you pack with interest tomorrow…” etc. It won’t stop at £10 and they will never pay you back tomorrow!
Whatever the reason, we can not stress enough – Do not send any money to anyone you have never met!
Any member asking for money from a relative stranger = RED FLAG!!
MOVING TOO FAST SCAMS
“I really like you, we are soulmates” – after 2 or 3 messages = RED FLAG!!
“Hello Dear, I think you are my life partner” – after just a few messages = RED FLAG!!
And anything similar. These are probably messages form a scammer pretending to be a real profile on the site in order to eventually try to con you out of money.
CAN’T TALK ON THE PHONE OR VIDEOCHAT
If you have been chatting away and decide to ask for a videochat or phone call (through the site – for security!) and the other profile keeps refusing for one reason or another = RED FLAG!! Be very careful after this has happened just once! If someone is on a dating site and looking to meet new people, one of the best ways to do this is to videochat with the other person and most people wanting to meet new people will always want to do this is the option is available.
CAN’T MEET IN PERSON
If you’ve been chatting for a while and decide to meet up but the other member keeps coming up with excuses why they can’t meet you, chances are, something is not right!
Be very suspicious if they’re never willing to meet. Chances are they’re not who they say they are If they’re not willing to meet you in person, especially if they claim to live nearby. This is a RED FLAG!!
They might say they’ve suddenly been sent overseas, or had to travel for work, or are ill etc. They could be married and cheating and not be able to get out when you are free? Whatever the reason, another member not willing to meet up = RED FLAG!!
THEY SEEM TOO GOOD TO BE TRUE
Occasionally, you come across a scammer who has prepared all the relevant aspects for a dating profile. They have a great sounding, completely full profile with every option completed (hardly anyone completes every single option), they will have matching social media, usually with the same images etc.
As good as it would be if this was a true profile, the chances are – it isn’t!
Again, there are many reasons, but what we are saying is that if a profile sounds so perfect, it should be looked upon as a RED FLAG!! – Right up until the point where it has been proven it wasn’t!
TRUST YOUR INSTINCTS
Lastly, trust your instincts. If something feels wrong about a particular profile, you might just be right. Often, our intuition can alert us to issues even if we can’t immediately pinpoint what’s wrong.
By trusting your instincts you can become more able to distinguish between genuine profiles and ones with some degree of uncertainty and this will enhance your safety and trust in all online interactions.
TO SUM UP
Staying safe online – to sum up:
Asking for money = RED FLAG!
“Hello Dear” = RED FLAG!!
You’re my “Soulmate” after a few messages = RED FLAG!!
No profile details completed = RED FLAG!!
No image = RED FLAG!!
We include here about email messages received from us – which may not be from us!
These usually come direct to you personal email address and not through the site messaging but are still a form of scam with the potential to cause great harm.
If you ever receive any email from us with a link saying that you must click here to log into your account and change your password, or any of your other details – DON’T!!
We have never had to do that and we don’t believe we ever will. If, in the rare event that this was necessary, we will never provide a link for you to click – we will simply tell you to go to our site and make any necessary change.
The email address you used to register with dreamdateuk will never expire, or need resetting, or have to be verified or confirmed (with the exception of the initial registration process). If you receive any email appearing to be form us requesting any of the above… its a scam!
Staying safe online is of utmost importance to us and we use a many features on the site in an attempt to combat scams, fake profiles and other issues. We implement a strict zero-tolerance policy on any form of online abuse.
The type of abuse is irrelevant. At dreamdateuk if we find that someone has posted something offensive, or sent abusive messages or threats etc. or if something has been brought to our attention and we see it is not acceptable, the offending profile gets deleted immediately with no second chances!
Nobody wants it and there is no need for it. If we think any content is unlawful or has serious future intent, we will forward this information onto the Police along with the relevant profile information.
We log all IP addresses and these form part of any bans we make.
We deal with any suspected scam notifications as soon as practically possible.
If you ever receive any message from any member on our website asking for money, or vouchers, or personal details, please let us know immediately and we will investigate and take the necessary action.
AND FINALLY
For staying safe online – We think we have covered most of the current scams and profile issues but If you think we have missed something please let us know below and we will add it.
Also, if you have any thoughts (from a members point of view) regarding the following subjects we would would be very grateful for your feedback.
1. Should we delete profiles who use a vague object for their profile picture, such as a car or an animal etc?
2. Should we delete profiles that do not complete the profile information section?
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