Dating scams are ever-changing, and staying ahead of the scammers is one of the best ways to avoid becoming a victim yourself.
I’ve written hundreds of articles in the dating scam industry, and I’ve been researching it for years.
Throughout this time, I’ve learned that dating scammers do not change for personal reasons but change because they have to.
VPNs no longer fully protect their location, banks are hitting back at scammers, and more, so they have to adapt.
This has led me to soft-predict what we can expect over the next five years. Plus, I include a few ways to protect yourself from the most likely scams.
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Where Dating Scams is Headed in the Next Five Years
Artificial Intelligence May Takeover
Over the past few years, artificial intelligence has been favored by dating scammers.
The scam involves the scammer asking for an erotic video chat and recording the video stream without the victim knowing.
After, the scammer blackmails the victim with the footage he’d recorded, threatening to send it to family and friends if not given money.
Many victims believe the person on the other end is real, but this is not the case. Artificial intelligence can take any photo, work its magic, and create a live image that appears natural.
This is used by many scammers that want to hide their identity but also to grow confidence on the victim’s end to help further his agenda.
I expect this scam to grow by at least 25% over the next five years, as this kind of software is becoming more readily available for anyone to use online.
Email Scams Could Grow in Popularity
Just in the past three months, I have been contacted by over ten romance scammers via email. That’s probably a little higher than expected, but my email is everywhere regarding work, etc.
Nevertheless, I’ve seen an enormous uptick just myself, and even more so online by looking at reports and reading through others’ experiences.
Email gives the scammer anonymity like most other messaging services cannot. Plus, emails are much easier to create if the old email gets banned for spam.
The scammer almost always uses the excuse of low data restrictions, which require him to use a service that isn’t data-heavy.
Some email providers are attempting to fight spam, but at this rate, it’s not going to block out this type of spam for a while.
After all, this is the scammers’ “job,” so you bet they’ll find a workaround!
Bitcoin Anonymity Gives Edge
Throughout the year 2020, bitcoin grew in popularity unlike ever before, and since then, the world has seen many added millionaires from simple, low investments years ago.
No matter where bitcoin stocks head in the future, it’s going to stay around for a while.
Bitcoin offers extreme anonymity, which is very helpful for scammers who need to hide their identities.
Most online scams involve the scammers requesting the victim to send money via green dot. However, bitcoin can be sent at home and is safer on the surface.
However, it’s ultimately unsafe because if you lose your money with bitcoin, there is no chance of getting it back. Tracking them down will be incredibly challenging, if not impossible.
Scripts Will Be Harder To Catch
Scripts are used by companies all over the world, and each company almost always has an experienced writer who goes over them regularly to improve the scripts.
This is starting to be the case with online dating scammers, too, which has not been the case until now. If you take a look here, you’ll see a sizable script used by scammers.
These kinds of scripts have been of poor quality in the past, with very odd phrasing.
However, these scammers are starting to realize this, and they’re working on improving every detail of their script.
This tactic is not new, but some scripts are refined and learned so well that even a native English tongue would find it difficult to pick up on.
In fact, some scripts have a feature where a keyword can be inputted, pulling up the perfect response over the phone or by message.
More IRL Dating Scams
Many people are surprised to hear that dating scams can go offline, too. In some countries, there is a scam that involves the scammer and victim actually becoming married.
The scam starts with the scammer contacting the victim, working her magic, and eventually asking for the victim to visit, with the hopes of him staying and marrying.
The scammer isn’t only married to one person, though. She likely is married to ten others as well, taking money from each and spending a few days a month with each, as “work calls.”
This is essentially a sugar daddy scam for the victim, without the victim knowing the real truth.
If one thing is for sure, scammers are growing confident, and I already see an uptick with this scam, so expect more of this, too.
How To Protect Yourself
Keep Private Info Private
The first step at protecting yourself from the inevitable is never to send any private info to an online crush. This may seem obvious to some, but scammers can be very persuasive.
Something as simple as an address, email, or social media profile can give a scammer enough information to move forward with his plan.
Information like your SSN, credit card or bank information, or even a PayPal email is enough.
You should never share this info unless you trust the person you would your mother, employer, or the government.
Use a Background Check
In the past few months, I have evaluated several online background checking services. I was shocked at how much data that the services were able to showcase.
Data such as assets, addresses, relatives, and more were instantly available seconds after searching for the person’s name in question.
While it may not be helpful at finding foreign scammers, it’s excellent for domestic searches.
If you have not given one of them a try, click here to read my full review. If their information is on the internet, the chances of finding it on there are very high.
Never Send Money
Lastly, never send money to anyone online unless you know the person and have set measures to keep you safe.
The most common scam tactic that will dominate over the next five years is the classic romance scam of building a relationship, then asking for money for XXX reasons to the victim.
These scammers are ruthless and will make up stories that would depress you if they were true.
If you’re asked for money, decline, report, and block them immediately. In some cases, he may insinuate that he needs money for an emergency.
While we can’t stop you, we suggest that you take a second look at the person if this happens.
Takeaway
I have covered just about every dating scam you could imagine, and there are still more that we’re working on.
Throughout this time, I’ve discovered a few things about romance scammers. They’re ruthless, clever, and patient.
In some areas of the world, call centers are explicitly built for dating scam artists to work from. In these same areas, scripts are written, traded, or sold for money, victims, and more.
The above five reasons are what I believe are the most likely scams to occur over the next five years.
However, there are going to be some occurrences that are not noted here. So, to be even more prepared, read our in-depth report on romance scams by clicking here.
