What these women may not realize is that Google has a reverse image search that can help them to find out whether a profile photo is actually a stock photo of a male model. It will also tell them whether a profile picture has been re-used on many dating sites. This can help to expose identity thieves.
The moral of such stories is, don’t ever send money to someone you have only met online!
Don’t use phrases like “I’ve worked hard my whole life and I want to share my success with someone special”. Scammers are likely to read this as “I’m lonely and I have money to spend.”
Old-school tips
Some old-school safety tips still apply when going on a first date with a person you met online. Take your own transport and meet in a public place. Hotels do not count as a public place. As soon as the door shuts, a date can turn nasty. Never meet at his home or yours and rather pick a place that’s not in your neighborhood.
… and some not so old-school ones!
You really need to keep as much personal info out of your profile as possible. For example, list your city but not your neighborhood.
