Mtnjim
02-14-2006, 10:45 AM
Love
is in the Internet. Or is it?
14 Feb 2006
*****
The UK's Office of Fair Trading (OFT) has warned consumers
to be alert
to potential scams when looking for love and romance online. An online
dating scam, says the OFT, is
when a scammer (of either sex) creates a
false profile on an online dating website or in a chatroom in order
to
gain your confidence and, subsequently, your money.
According to the OFT, a sure sign that your romantic
encounter online is
a scam is when you get asked for money. Of course, the request doesn't
come immediately - the
scammer will take time to hook you. Once
the scammer or scammers have the impression that you will gladly
do
anything, they will usually start to give signals that you should now
take your relationship out of the virtual
and into the real world. In
other words - you should meet up. But alas, they don't have enough money
to come and
visit, and being the gentleman that you are, you will surely
help them. Preferably via an untraceable money
transfer service that
will give money to a recipient who knows the transaction passcode.
Other standard methods
to get you to part with your cash, according to
the OFT, are:
* The "stranded" claim. This one can be
presented
as though your date is on her way to you, but has got stranded
somewhere without money or tickets and needs help as
soon as possible,
preferably within several hours. This is intended to instil a sense of
urgency in the victim,
who will then act first and think second.
* The
"beaten, ill or robbed" claim, which is essentially the same
as
the previous scenario, but in this case, money is needed for an
urgent operation or medical treatment.
Other
signs that you are being scammed are as follows:
* Your online
date sends a photograph of someone young and
beautiful; the photo itself
may look semi-professional. This is usually a picture the scammer found
somewhere on
the Internet.
* Your online date gives a postal box
address and a telephone number that she never answers
herself.
* Your
online date talks about herself (usually in general terms) and avoids
answering questions. This
may be a sign that you are just receiving a
standard email that is being sent to tens or even hundreds of
other
people.
And the advice the OFT give for a successful online relationship? Well,
first of all, pick
someone local to you, rather than someone in a remote
town in Siberia that you can't even pronounce. Secondly,
don't give out
personal details. And thirdly, be realistic and cautious in your choice
of online partners.
is in the Internet. Or is it?
14 Feb 2006
*****
The UK's Office of Fair Trading (OFT) has warned consumers
to be alert
to potential scams when looking for love and romance online. An online
dating scam, says the OFT, is
when a scammer (of either sex) creates a
false profile on an online dating website or in a chatroom in order
to
gain your confidence and, subsequently, your money.
According to the OFT, a sure sign that your romantic
encounter online is
a scam is when you get asked for money. Of course, the request doesn't
come immediately - the
scammer will take time to hook you. Once
the scammer or scammers have the impression that you will gladly
do
anything, they will usually start to give signals that you should now
take your relationship out of the virtual
and into the real world. In
other words - you should meet up. But alas, they don't have enough money
to come and
visit, and being the gentleman that you are, you will surely
help them. Preferably via an untraceable money
transfer service that
will give money to a recipient who knows the transaction passcode.
Other standard methods
to get you to part with your cash, according to
the OFT, are:
* The "stranded" claim. This one can be
presented
as though your date is on her way to you, but has got stranded
somewhere without money or tickets and needs help as
soon as possible,
preferably within several hours. This is intended to instil a sense of
urgency in the victim,
who will then act first and think second.
* The
"beaten, ill or robbed" claim, which is essentially the same
as
the previous scenario, but in this case, money is needed for an
urgent operation or medical treatment.
Other
signs that you are being scammed are as follows:
* Your online
date sends a photograph of someone young and
beautiful; the photo itself
may look semi-professional. This is usually a picture the scammer found
somewhere on
the Internet.
* Your online date gives a postal box
address and a telephone number that she never answers
herself.
* Your
online date talks about herself (usually in general terms) and avoids
answering questions. This
may be a sign that you are just receiving a
standard email that is being sent to tens or even hundreds of
other
people.
And the advice the OFT give for a successful online relationship? Well,
first of all, pick
someone local to you, rather than someone in a remote
town in Siberia that you can't even pronounce. Secondly,
don't give out
personal details. And thirdly, be realistic and cautious in your choice
of online partners.