Popular social networks and online dating sites have become inevitable parts of our lives. We meet so many people every day, but we rarely ask ourselves if all these cool, new and intriguing personas really are who they say they are.
Nowadays it is pretty hard to spot an online predator.
They use fake profiles, hide behind innocent looking profile pics and know how to seem benign, which is exactly why it is often almost impossible to know whether you are really chatting with Tracy17, or you are actually talking to a truck driver named Bob who’s 57.
In order to avoid online predators and scammers, we have come up with these 5 major red flags that give away these bad people almost instantly.
1. They Will Insist On Meeting In Person ASAP
If you have been chatting with this new person for a short period of time, and he or she starts pressuring you into meeting in real life as well (“because you’re such great pals”), you might be dealing with a dangerous person.
Never agree to meet strangers who contact you online, even if they seem nice and benevolent. Especially not then.
2. Online Predators Will Inquire About Your Personal Info
They will almost always try to find out as much as they can about you. If a stranger whom you know nothing about asks about your:
- full name
- exact address
- best friends
- family members
- school
- favorite hobbies,
immediately stop any kind of communication with them and report that profile to authorities.
3. They Want To Win You Over Quickly
They will constantly tell you how important you are to them and will try to swoon you over with gifts and by agreeing to everything you say.
Online predators might offer gifts like:
- Toys
- Cool new gadgets
- Even money
4. They Keep Track When You Are Online
Online predators will monitor your Internet activity and they will keep an eye on everything you do online.
If the person you are in contact with, sends you a message as soon as you log into your Facebook or online dating account, they are probably sitting and waiting for you to come online and are quite possibly an online predator.
They are always in the need of knowing what you do during your day.
5. They Are Sloppy
If their stories just don’t add up and you begin to feel like something is just off with this profile – that’s your gut telling you to stay away from this person.
Look for holes in their stories and for discrepancies in their personal info.
Should you recognize any of the abovementioned signs, just block that person on all possible platforms. Scammers and online predators are everywhere!