Online Dating

Overview

In a highly-technological age where more traditional activities are being conducted online, it’s only natural that the digital environment will also be utilized to meet new people for marriage, long-term relationship or a casual fling.

Dating websites make it easier for members to find like-minded matches with similar interests, core values, personal traits, hobbies or intentions.
Every typical service enables its subscribers to sign up, create a profile, upload photos and interact with other members.

The online dating scene is extremely diverse and caters to a wide variety of user groups:

• The Major Dating Sites: Huge “general” platforms with the largest membership bases.
  They are the most popular destinations for ‘mainstream’ singles and serve all people that look for a serious relationship.
• Niche Dating Services: Help find singles by a common criteria, such as a specific religion, ethnicity, race, age group, income level, lifestyle, sexual orientation or other.
• Casual Dating Websites: These services enable users to meet men and women purely for non-committed sexual encounters.

Commercial services require a monthly, quarterly or annual subscription fee for different levels of membership and features.
Even though all matchmaking sites are built around a similar concept, each tries to differentiate itself by providing exclusive features, such as free trial, mobile apps, sophisticated compatibility matching algorithms, personality tests or others.

Consumer Tips: How to Avoid Dating Site Scams Online

Just like any other sector that involves consumers, commercial websites and money that switches hands, the internet dating market also has its fair share of scammers, fraudsters and cybercriminals that operate online and look for potential victims.
Scammers use many illegal, unethical or dishonest ways to trick innocent dating site members just trying to find love.

Some sites are not policing their members enough for criminal, negative or unsafe behavior.
They enable professional con artists to run vicious romance scams, stage fake intentions towards members, take advantage of their vulnerabilities and then steal their money, credit card details or other personal information.

Also, some fraudulent dating websites are full of bogus profiles, old and inactive members, professional stock photos in which everybody looks like models and fake messages from non-existing users or bots.
Such sites usually have no real members, and they exist to con users out of sensitive information or money.

Certain companies in this industry use unethical business practices and make it extremely difficult to cancel a membership or stop the auto-renewal of a subscription.

Taking these steps will help you find credible and reliable services:

Prefer Joining a Website that Offers Free Trial

Getting a free trial allows potential customers the chance to wet their feet before committing to a paid plan.
Use the trial period to initiate connections with other users and gauge the effectiveness of the site.

Investigate the Dating Service’s BBB Record

Check the company’s record on the Better Business Bureau’s website.
What you’ll find there, will help you evaluate whether it’s a legitimate business that deserves your money and trust or if you must look elsewhere.

Look for current BBB rating, customer reviews, complaints, warnings and alerts on their business profile.
Also, learn how long it has been in business – a potential indicator of experience and reputation.

If the website is not even listed with the BBB, this is a very bad sign.
On the other hand, if the dating site is certified as a BBB Accredited Business, it’s an important positive signal.

Pay Close Attention to Red Flags

Learn how to protect yourself better when ordering goods and services on the internet, to avoid scammers and keep safe in general.
Knowing how to check if a website is legitimate or not is the first line of defense.