HELP YOUR FRIENDS AND FAMILY DATE SAFELY ONLINE

Australians reported nearly 4, online dating and romance scams in with more than a third resulting in a direct financial loss, according to new data from the consumer watchdog, which suggests scammers are increasingly taking to social media. Around Women are three times more likely to be the victim of financial loss through a dating scam, according to the latest data. There were reported scams on online dating sites, on Instagram, and on Facebook. Traditional dating platforms like Tinder and Match.

Joseph Brookes is a writer and content producer for Which

Get in touch with IDCare – Australia and New Zealand’s counselling and support service to assist Australians impacted by scams, identify theft and cyber-crimes.

To help protect those looking for love, Crime Stoppers encourages people to be on the lookout for signs that they are being scammed, and know how to stay safe when meeting someone new for the first time. While dating should be a fun and safe experience, important rules apply whether meeting someone online or in person for the first time. It is important to trust your instincts and remember that if something sounds too good to be true it probably is, and never, ever get financially involved with someone you hardly know.

Online dating sites are an increasingly popular option for many looking for love, but it is important to safeguard your privacy and anonymity. If you do get to that point where you want to share contact details, consider using a free email service provider such as Gmail, Yahoo! The more information you provide, the easier it is for someone to find out more about you via any social media account, online searching, or even contacting your employer under false pretence.

It is hard to gauge how many people have actually fallen victims to a love scam because often victims are too embarrassed to come forward. Dating scammers often try and trick their victims into falling in love and then deceitfully take their money. Around Just as every piece of information helps to solve crime, every dollar donated to Crime Stoppers also makes a real difference.

Report Crime en. Some facts and figures provided by Scamwatch include: Instagram was the most common social media website totalling 8.