(Press Release – February 13, 2012) As part of Online Dating Safety Awareness Month, Online Dating Magazine is issuing a warning about online romance scams, the most successful type of scam on the Internet.

An online dating romance scam is when someone fraudulently obtains money from victims that use online dating services.  Scammers put up a fake online dating profile with the goal of forming a relationship. Once the scammer believes the victim has fallen in love, they fake an emergency and request money.

“What most people don’t know about romance scams is that the scammers are willing to wait many months before asking for money,” says Joe Tracy, Publisher of Online Dating Magazine. “They are also willing to talk to you on the phone and some will go as far as to send you gifts.”

Once a scammer is secure in knowing their victim is in love, they will fake some sort of emergency and make a request for money. Because victims are blinded by love, they give the money. Hundreds of millions of dollars have been lost to romance scams.

“Romance scams succeed because they prey upon the heart and the human desire to do good,” says Tracy. “The scammers will pretend to be Christian, be in the military, or have kids. There is no end to what they will do.”

There are ways to spot a scammer early on:

1) Their picture will be almost “model-like”.

2) Their English may be somewhat broken.

3) They will want to get off the service and communicate via email ASAP.

4) If they call you, they will have an accent that doesn’t match the photo.

5) Sentence structure in emails may be strange, including sometimes there not being a space after the period at the end of a sentence and the beginning of the next sentence.

6) They will push the online relationship while having excuses for not meeting.

Online Dating Magazine has published a very insightful three part series about romance scams in addition to several videos and warnings. You can access the special section at:

https://www.onlinedatingmagazine.com/romancescams

About Online Dating Magazine
Online Dating Magazine is a free online publication and watchdog group for online daters and singles. The publication was launched in 2003 and has served millions of online daters since then with tips, reviews, warnings, and experiences. You can visit Online Dating Magazine at https://www.onlinedatingmagazine.com

About Online Dating Safety Awareness Month
Online Dating Safety Awareness Month was first launched by Online Dating Magazine in 2011 and occurs every February.  During this time, sites are encouraged to publish information that educates online daters and singles on how to have a safe and fun online dating experience.