Many online daters feel they are too smart to get caught out by a dating scammer, they believe they can easily spot a bogus dating profile or photo.
It’s time to think again.
We have answered the question “what is an online dating scammer” and looked at the No 1 internet dating scam, the 419 scam.
But as online daters have become smarter at recognising scammers, scammers have been evolving at the same pace.
While beginners still use the old basic tricks, the more advanced scammers are a lot more subtle.
One question to ask yourself is “does the online dating profile photo look too good to be true?”
If it does then it probably is, they simply steal them from modelling agency websites.
However, the better scammers are now wise to this .. here’s an illustration:
I bet you thought they were going to be of women!! Scammers will try anything to get cash out of both men and women.
Clearly the picture at the top is of a male model and has been stolen from a model agency website.
So not only are you being scammed but the poor model is having his work stolen and used for illegal purposes.
The picture at the bottom is clearly not of a male model. This poor man obviously put his holiday photos on something like facebook or flickr and is now being touted round the internet by a dating scammer.
The ip address for two profiles with the above pictures displayed both originate in Nigeria.
Here’s one for the men .. just so you don’t feel left out.
This is Karla Spice, an adult film star. There is a great deal more to this photo but I shall leave you to find it for yourself.
Scammers will use photo’s like this so your large brain switches off and your small brain takes over.
Her portfolio of photo’s has been on online dating profiles all over the world and men are still falling for it.
Another way for scammers to get hold of photo’s to use on dating profiles is to capture images from daters they are chatting to online. If you are chatting to a scammer using webcam they simply take a still picture of you while you are online.
In 5 tips to spot a Nigerian dating scammer I told you how to trace a photo back to it’s online origin using a reverse image search engine.
If you start communicating with someone on an online dating site then always check their photo through a reverse image search engine or database.
As the photo’s of men above shows, it’s not only the too good to be true pictures that scammers use on online dating profiles.
May 21st, 2009 at 6:13 am
Wow, these Nigerian scammers are everywhere. Great tip about TinEye. Many people can use that including people who have uploaded their original and copyrighted photography.
These information you have provided is sure to help a lot of people especially with online dating becoming more and more popular.
June 2nd, 2009 at 10:01 am
Great tip about TinEye. Many people can use that including people who have uploaded their original and copyrighted photography.
June 5th, 2009 at 4:15 am
Wow great tip on the reverse image search engine! It works!
June 5th, 2009 at 10:45 pm
Well it should certainly help you in your work Leon.
June 7th, 2009 at 9:47 pm
I was approached by a young lady who lives in Nigeria on the Yahoo Personals and I have sent her 2800.00 to bring her here.She told me that she needed to get a doctors appointment that cost 1000.00 and the tickets were 2000.00 and when I sent her that money for the tickets she wrote me back saying that she needed anpther 2000.00 for BTA.I have been able to find out id that is true or not.Could you please tell me if this is the case or not?Thank You……Mike
June 11th, 2009 at 2:47 am
Hi Mike
I’m sorry to say they are a scammer and you’ve been conned. DO NOT send another pound/dollar/yen to her/him.
There is no such thing as BTA any more, all countries did away with this a long time ago (about 4 decades ago) but scammers still use it to con money out of people. Also the cost of the doctors appointment is just a silly figure in Nigeria, unless it’s for full body plastic surgery.
I’m afraid it is very doubtful that you will ever see your money again but please cease all contact with this person immediately.
Yahoo personals is absolutely the worst place to meet someone simply because that’s where a vast majority of scammers hang out.
June 23rd, 2009 at 10:54 am
Scammers are innovating day by day and it is our responsibility to keep up with the latest updates and beware! Sorry for Mike who lost his good money!
June 28th, 2009 at 1:48 am
I was scammed by a male scammar, came off like he was coming from the USA, on a business deal, and they would not take his money order in Nigeria, he claim he was in cruel oil, which meant he was very rich. He ask for money for living expenses, airfare, hospital, and taxes. I talked with him for 5 months before I realize he was a scammer. I know this sound foolish now, but at the time it seem so real. He knew everything about USA, knew all the news, latest music, and anything else that would red flag that he wasn’t from America. However, all the information he gave did not pan out. The address did not exist, he gave a popular name therefore you could not google him. Everything he said was nothing but lies. We waited at the airport for him for hours and he did not show up. Later I receive an email saying he was in an accident, and he needed $1,600, for a blood transfusion. The letter from the doctor was very unprofessional not using any of the professional language that a doctor would use. (IV, was called a drip)He could not tell me what was the condition, only he hit his head. He sent a picture of car crash, but forgot to change the date on picture, which was two years ago. After all this he kept on lying and trying to get money. It was like a timeshare presentation. They were not finished with me, he sent an official saying he was the FBI, and they wanted to catch him and put him in jail I just needed to give them personal information, and pay a small fee. I believe this guy was either him or someone working with him to see what I would say and what I would tell. I have become so discourage regarding online, almost every person I have met has been a scammar.
July 5th, 2009 at 8:25 pm
Hi Betty
It doesn’t sound foolish that you were the victim of a scammer, if they weren’t so convincing then almost nobody would fall for it. This is what they do for a living so they become very good at it.
OMG paying the FBI a small fee …. ok I’ve heard it all now. Honestly they will stop at nothing.
Betty when you join a dating site make yourself a new rule …. you won’t chat with anyone who doesn’t chat on the forum or chatrooms in a group. Scammers will rarely join in with a group, quite the opposite they try to get you off the site as quickly as possible. Also write out 100 times …. anyone that asks for money online is a scammer!!
August 30th, 2009 at 10:18 pm
Hi Girls & Guys,
I had my head screwed on right…for once!!! I met this so called Orthopaedic surgeon who worked in London, widowed, had 1 one son on Match.com. We MSN’d every day and night…he fell in love with within days…gave it all the chat..and yeah I fell for him too. Very handsome, surgeon, my dream man! I did google the name, and it came up with an much older very smart english man. I queried this with him, and he said that was the Head of Surgeons picture. He had to go to Nigeria for a bestfriends funeral, very sad, took his son with him. After loads of cyber chat..he lost his wallet with ALL his money in. He claimed he has no close friends and couldn’t ask his Mom as she was very ill. Had no brothers of sisters. He wanted $2,500 to pay for his hotel, he said they are holding his passport. I said about his credit card companies, and he said they dont delivery to third world countries!! All they accept is cash. He was even saying, my son hasnt eaten all day, please send me what you can! But I knew from the picture something wasnt ringing true, so I was on my guard, and when he mentioned his wallet going missing, my heart sank..it was ALL lies and a complete scam. I did not help him, thank god. He said he has to sell his lap top so he would not be able to communicate with me anymore..hooray!!!
Please be careful, they pray on single vunerable people. I have totally lost my faith in men now.
September 2nd, 2009 at 12:07 am
Hi Saraj
So pleased to hear you didn’t get scammed and very sorry to hear you have lost your faith in men.
Please remember that scammers are both male and female, men get caught out just as much as women. There are some lovely guys on internet dating sites you just have to keep your wits about you and not let yourself get too involved too quickly.
The golden rule is don’t let yourself feel “love” for someone you have never met and if they ever ask you for one pound/cent/yen then run away and find someone real.
Think of meeting someone on a dating site as a test period, let’s be honest they may be genuine and seem perfect for you but when you meet there is no chemistry … so you should never get involved before you actually meet.
September 19th, 2009 at 2:57 pm
I feel like I am in the middle of a “scam” !
I am skeptical about most guys to begin with… but of course theres always that tiny bit of hope! we dont want to lose hope! I have been talking to this one guy who says he is in West Africa! coming back to the US in 2 weeks. has a 16 yr old son. wife died of cancer.. misses me. age and distance isnt important. will live where ever his new love lives. I know .. it’s a scam!!! darn it! 
I had already been thinking about it being a scam.. he hasnt yet asked me for anything… and I certainly would have laughed n his face had he done that.. I am furious with anyone who will do this to other people .. but its been going on for hundreds of years .. this is just the newest way to do it! so… my next message to him will be full of questions etc. Is there a good list anywhere with names addresses pics etc. so we can see?
Christine@yourkeywords´s last blog ..In Case You’re Building a Social Media Team…
September 23rd, 2009 at 12:37 pm
Hi Christine
Sorry to hear you have been contacted by a scammer but at least you know it is a scam. The “hope” is the thing which allows perfectly sensible people to be caught up in the scammers net.
Here are some ways you can do some digging yourself .. https://country-couples.co.uk/datingtips/5-tips-to-spot-a-nigerian-dating-scammer/
You can also pop “dating scam database” into your search engine and there are lots of sites which you can check out photos, email addresses, names, etc.
September 24th, 2009 at 8:33 pm
Angelika Lancsak Matchmaking is a scam
Asking an untraceable paypal membership fee of EUR3000! or even funnier: a donation !
September 29th, 2009 at 9:54 am
When you prefer to have an online dating I must say it’s not good to hear..
mary@ nursing degrees´s last blog ..Finding The Best Paying Nursing Jobs
September 30th, 2009 at 11:48 am
Hi A Big World
I went to have a look at the site and enjoyed giggling at the donation button for an expensive service. It’s also strange that the address is in London but the telephone number is in Austria …. perhaps one to avoid.
October 18th, 2009 at 4:00 pm
You have to be so aware of dating online, so I have experienced. Some great advice on here – be aware guys.
November 23rd, 2009 at 9:21 am
I would like to know if their is a (BTA) in the UK………london to be exact………….I am being told that it is 1500 pounds and that is what she needs to take the final step to get her here????????????????
November 23rd, 2009 at 1:51 pm
Hi John
No there is no such thing as BTA for the UK. I assume you are her sponsor? If so you have to show documents showing you are able to financially support her on her trip to England but you do this during the visa application process. Basically they won’t give her a visa if they don’t think her trip can be sufficiently funded …. again, there is no such thing as BTA.
BTA used to be used in poorer countries to control the amount of currency taken out of that country … it was an allowance like a cigarette or alcohol allowance (hence it’s name Basic Travel Allowance) but countries stopped using it about 40 years ago.
What country is this woman coming from? If you want any further help you can use the contact button at the top of the blog and we can delve a bit further and see if your young lady is genuine.
November 23rd, 2009 at 3:13 pm
please if you have send money to this person before stop ok it is a scammer saying he is from uk.. lie lie lie…
November 23rd, 2009 at 3:17 pm
Sally, you can’t just let someone put someone’s email address here what if this person is not a scammer.. because someone tell you the person is a scammer did she tell you if the person collected her money..
November 23rd, 2009 at 5:06 pm
Hi Mall
I did check out the email address provided before allowing the comment, as it was listed as a scammers email address. However I have removed the comments as the person reporting it didn’t come back with any further details to back up the claim.
February 23rd, 2010 at 3:54 pm
I was scammed, emotionally at least, recently. I met this guy Michael on okcupid. He said his name was Michael Scofield and I didn’t catch on that that is the lead character’s name from Prison Break. He said he owned a construction company, had no family but a young daughter and while he had a satellite office here in Phoenix, his company was based in London. Like an idiot I fell for him…or at least the pictures…my dream guy…then he asked me for money to finish a construction job in Nigeria saying that since we were so in love and going to be married some day that his business was mine and vice versa. I responded and said I would be happy to but I wanted the name of his company, a local address and phone number and his social security #. I said that if he wanted me to trust him to send money then he should be able to trust me w/ his social. He sent the name of the company, Monarch, but nothing else and eventually turned everything back on me saying I broke his heart. The sad thing is….I really fell for the guy in the picture…I hate that I am so gullible and such a romantic that I could get duped so easily. I lost 135 pounds recently and my self esteem is a little damaged from being heavy for so long and now I am smaller….I put part of his profile in quotes and googled it and he popped up all over the place, swingers websites, erotic websites, multiple dating sites…makes me sick. I feel bad for the poor guy in the picture they stole. I wish I could find him.
March 1st, 2010 at 9:36 pm
Hi Kate
So sorry to hear about your emotional rollercoaster ride recently. Once caught out scammers will always try the “but I love you, you broke my heart” blah blah blah rubbish to try to reel you back in and sometimes it does work. I get emails from people who KNOW they are dealing with a scammer but reach out to me in the desperate hope I will say they are not a scammer.
It’s such a shame he caught you at a vulnerable time in your life, confidence wise but at least the damage was only emotional and broken hearts do heal in time.
Anyone can get duped that easily, many say they can’t but I assure you they can when dealing with a professional con artist. This is what you have to remember, you were not dealing with a some poor kid on a 20 year old computer in a mud hut but with a professional scam artist, probably belonging to a scam ring of like minded thieves and conmen. The professionals are slick, clever and good at what they do. How else could they be everything you have ever wanted in a man … but also be everything someone else wanted in a woman or man.
Don’t beat yourself up, just google love scams or romance scams and see how many intelligent professional people get duped by these swines. Time to learn lessons and move on.
Big hugs.
March 3rd, 2010 at 8:10 pm
Kate this comment was left for you by imabritishbird but she sent is as an email rather than a comment:
Don’t feel bad I had a similar guy… only I called him out on it… if some guy tells you he “loves” you!!! that ids the first biggest flag ! as much as we may want it… no one can love anyone until you have met face to face… and red flag # 2 “send me money” !!! I’m glad you didn’t buit I’m sorry you had to go thu that.. he is scum and not worthy of a fine person like you
keep going girl the right one will find you… be perticular and be sceptical until they prove to you they are genuine… make em come visit your State! good luck. The Bird