• Posted by: Sanjeev
• 28 May, 2019

Online Dating Frauds

CUPID OR CONMAN? BEWARE OF FAKE PROFILES ON ONLINE DATING APPS AND WEBSITES

Online dating in India started at the end of 2010, just around the time when the internet started becoming accessible and affordable to the masses in the country. Nowadays social networking apps and websites like Twitter, Facebook, Instagram, OkCupid, Whatsapp and Match.combecoming the prima facie mode of befriending people. More and more strangers have started inter-connecting and becoming part of our friend lists. Today, specialized apps like Tinder, Bumble, Woo, Hinge, and Grindr have come into the picture with a sole motive to help individuals find love and casual relationship.

CURRENT STATUS -FINDING LOVE IN A CLICK!
A few years ago you might have laughed off the idea, but every year, the statistics are mocking at our ignorance. A staggering 1.2 million people join the online dating market in India each year. Moreover, the numbers are continuously growing as an individual are constantly connecting with potential partners for love, companionship, and marriage. Currently, approximately 60 percent of Indian men and 40 percent of Indian women are using online apps and dating websites. Globally the online dating industry is a massive $4 billion. Worldwide, a whopping 57 percent of people dating online, lie about their whereabouts and intentions. In a space that remains largely unregulated, cybercriminals have on their radar multitudes of such audiences.

DANGEROUS DATING- ONLINE APPS ARE BECOMING A RISKY AFFAIR FOR INDIAN YOUTH& ADULTS ALIKE
A casual Tinder date turning into a murder, a teenage girl running a sex scam racket, gay and straight men becoming victims of rape and extortion, millions looted from people falling prey to online financial scams.

• June 2018 -Duping Hundreds of Men in Delhi For 10 Months, Using A Fake Account on A Dating App
• July 2018 -A Fake Dating Site Racket For Duping Men: Kingpin is A Teenage Girl
• September 2018 -Gay Men Getting Raped on Grindr: Terrifying Stories of Extortion
• October 2018 -New Reports States: Indian Kids Face Maximum Percentage of Cyber Bullying In the World
• February 2019 - How a Tinder Date Ended In Murder: A Story of Greed, Lies, and Cheating
• These are just some cases reported across India between 2018 to February 2019, that have made news headlines on gruesome crimes committed, through online social media websites and dating apps.

ONLINE DATING - WHY IS IT SO POPULAR?

With #FOMO(Fear of Missing Out) becoming a real thing, virtual lives have replaced the real world. People find it easier to hide behind a screen and look out for personal extramarital affairs.

THREATS OF ONLINE DATING AND CYBER CRIME

You thought the worst thing that can happen to you through an online dating relationship is a heartbreak. It's time we show you a real picture. Behind a blind screen you might be seeking a cupid but don't be surprised if you find a conman. From financial frauds, security breaches, blackmailing to even the most heinous offenses like rape, extortion, and murder the list of crimes is growing. For several individuals, virtual dating makes for a secret escape route to cheat on their spouses and partners. Many others dupe young boys and girls into sex rackets and prostitution, exchanging nude pictures and pornographic content which later is used to blackmail the innocent user. You might have your heart broken, your privacy compromised and your bank account rendered empty if you ignore the threats that these online dating sites present.

The Following Categories Reveal The Current Statistics on The Percentage of crimes committed on Cyber Space in India

• 43 percent are Ransomware Crimes
• 73 Percent are ATM Thefts
• 22 Percent of crimes have been due to Identity Impersonation
• 71 Percent due to Phishing Attacks
• 47 Percentage of Crimes are related to Women and Child Pornography
• 20 Percent are of Rape and Extortion through Online Dating Apps and Social Media Platforms.

Imagine your grandmother being alone at home during the day, while you unintentionally slip off about her whereabouts to your new Tinder match. The situation can turn murky and beyond your control if the person happens to be a fraud or a criminal who knows he has an easy target and nothing much to lose.

In the past financial year (2018), Google has banned approximately 1900 play store apps, due to fraudulent cases registered against them by the Cyber Crime Department of India.

Don't Get Catfished.

BEWARE OF FAKE PROFILES ONLINE. UNDERSTAND, WHY DO YOU NEED TO BE ALERT?

While the majority of tech-savvy people ignore spam emails, fake calls and bot generated chats, the stakes involved here are high. The virtual scammers do not come and go. They build a relationship of trust over time, taking you into a comfort zone wherein you get comfortable to share personal information regarding finances, travel plans, family disputes, professional problems and information about assets and liabilities.

Data Is The New Oil For Scammers And Blackmailers!
After acquiring your personal details and data the frauds will get to work. It won't take long for a scammer to fake his identity and harass you, sitting behind a mobile or a laptop screen. Suspicious online behaviors, ways of communicating and chatting, become crucial factors to spot the warning signs, that scammers portray. It is vital that we make our parents, grandparents, and elders aware of the virtual threats that loom at large. The internet has been abruptly thrown at their faces, besides a vague skillset to deal with the challenges and frauds that can happen online. Today it's not just the youth, but even older people are scouting the web for entertainment. Numerous elderly individuals are reported to be looking for new relationships and new groups of individuals to fill the void of their years of loneliness. Moreover, it’s mostly the older generation that is the first to fall prey to fake news, scams, profiles, honeytraps, trust breaches and security threats.

You can help your parents, relatives, friends, and colleagues if you know what to look for, whom to avoid. Along with understanding how to keep your senses alert from the unreliable virtual world of the internet.

DANGEROUS DATING: WARNING SIGNS TO LOOK FOR TO IDENTIFY FAKE PROFILES ONLINE

1. Catch Those Lies Early
A university graduate, a software engineer, basically any self-proclaimed highly educated man and woman would know basic grammar and spellings. Especially if they are talking to someone they want to impress. Does their chatting style tell you something is fishy? Do u suspect that the individuals are perhaps not what they claim to be. It important to evaluate communication and listen to your intuition.

2. Cross Check The Profile Pictures

Look up on the internet to find whether they are using a real image or merely faking someone else's face and identity. They might be doing so to create very believable profiles. Report such people immediately to save others as well.

3. Are They Asking Too Many Questions?

Strangers online are usually very curious to know a lot about you in a short span of time. They perhaps are asking and gathering details about your family. Questions like who stays in with you in your house? When time do people come and go? Along with other details regarding the elderly members of your family. Kindly evaluate the questions strangers ask you, always beware of suspicious question mongers.

4. Too Good To Be True?

All that glitters is not gold. You will often find a stranger online, going gaga over a stupid Facebook post you made without thinking. Some fakers will constantly praise you over trivial and insignificant things. They will make feel like you are the epitome of perfection in the world. Does this ring a bell? Steer away from these too good to be real personalities. Don't fall prey to unrealistic flattery.

5. Suspicious Meeting Requests

Consistent refusal to meet or insisting on meeting alone, at their place or a shady spot. Keep a lookout for all these categories of people, who either refuse to meet in public or persistently ask you to meet 'only in private.' You need to understand the online predator's mindset in creating a spot conducive for crime. What would be a better place to steal, assault, rape or even kill than at a perfectly scenic lonely spot or the confines of a bedroom? Think hard before you agree to meet a stranger online. Better still, take a friend along for safety if possible.

6. Questions About Your Finances

Your money is your biggest secret, respect its privacy. Be wary of that cute girl you have recently fallen for, who keeps on asking for money on the pretext of tragic life story. Don't share your ATM Pin, Credit Card Number or any seemingly unimportant and trivial detail of your financial transaction with anyone online. You must be wise in choosing the right people on a virtual platform. Understand their intentions, spot any instances where they ask you for any financial help or favors. If anyone raises questions about money or banking information that fell suspicious, block them immediately.

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