Last Updated on January 7, 2024 by Jerome Donovan
If you know that you are dealing with a romance scammer and would want to outsmart a romance scammer, then I will share with you some ideas to help you. Ensure you read to the end, as some points here are crucial. But before you bank on outsmarting a romance scammer, you must know the clear signs you are dealing with a romance scammer so you don’t make mistakes on someone innocent.
The key to outsmarting a romance scammer is being proactive and well-informed about the tell-tale signs that may reveal a fraudulent motive—understanding their tactics, recognizing red flags, and turning the table on the scammer.
Romance scammers are a growing concern in online dating, taking advantage of vulnerable individuals searching for love and companionship. These scammers often create fake profiles, using stolen photos and personal information to deceive their targets into sharing intimate details or even their finances. As the prevalence of romance scams continues to rise, it’s critical to understand how to outsmart these fraudsters and protect oneself from falling victim to their schemes.
In this article, we’ll discuss useful tips and techniques for identifying and outmaneuvering romance scammers, empowering readers to take control of their online dating experiences and proceed confidently.
Strategic Ways to Outsmart a Romance Scammer
If you want to outsmart a romance scammer, you must think like a scammer yourself. These concepts I have put together will help you outsmart con people and even take money from them if you wish.
Ask for their Facebook Profile
If you meet a suspected romance scammer on a dating app, the best way to figure them out and destabilize them would be to ask for their Facebook profile.
Do not ask for their Instagram, as they have also created that one to compliment their activities on dating apps. With their Facebook profile, you will see their history, mutual friends, and posts they have shared.
Do not buy the idea when the scammer says, “I don’t use Facebook.” This is because they should still have one they might have created even if they don’t use it. Most scammers use fake names and pictures so that a Facebook profile will expose that immediately.
Request for their LinkedIn Profile
The second step is to ask for their LinkedIn profile; maybe they have told you how successful they are with their business or investment and professing love to you. The best way to figure them out is by asking for this information.
Any professional person would have a LinkedIn profile, which will also show their government name and picture.
After asking this question, you might be surprised that the romance scammer will try to play around with the answer or stop chatting with you.
Use a reverse image
To further outsmart a romance scammer asides from the obvious signs, you can use the Google reverse image search feature to see if their profile picture has been stolen or is being used under a different name.
You can also look up their name and other information online to see if anything seems odd.
The downside of this is that with the introduction of A.I. tools that are capable of manufacturing real human images from scratch, you can’t be too sure if they are still accurate.
Request for a Video Call
Once you request a video call from any potential scammer, you are going to get excuses like “my camera is bad or the network situation here is terrible.”
If they don’t agree to a video call at any point, follow the next step to ensure you win against a romance scammer.
Play along with the Scammer
Now that it is confirmed that you are dealing with a scammer pretending to play along and buy into everything he is saying. He would most likely be making fake promises to you. You can just reply when you want and go with the flow.
Ask him for flowers
If your suspected romance scammer is a male, you can request flowers, coffee, or anything that will cost the scammer money.
Scammers usually send money first to win your trust or send flowers. But the scammer has no idea that you are playing back the game to outsmart them.
When he requests your address, feel free to send the address, as he can’t do anything much with the address. Then when he sends the flower, that is a plus for you.
Ask him for a Birthday Gift.
If the scammer is still having a wonderful conversation with you after sending the flower, the next step to outsmart and win the romance scammer would be to request a birthday gift.
You can ask him to send you money through some of these safest means to receive money from strangers.
If he complains about sending the money, tell him you will break up with him if he doesn’t. This is the best way to outsmart a romance scammer and win them at their own game.
Make Fake Promises to the Scammer
To keep the scammer invested in you, continually make fake promises to him. You can promise to send him money once you receive your cheque. This will raise his hopes and would becloud his judgement.
Ask the Scammer to Provide their Passport
Another way to outsmart a romance scammer is by asking the scammer to show you their international passport right on the spot.
This will destabilize the scammer because they’ve never planned for this. An excellent way to set this up is by first asking the scammer about their location. If the scammer is inside the house, you can raise the question.
They will try to bring up different excuses for sending their passport for renewal, bla, bla, bla.
Request for More Money
If you are still comfortable playing the game, you can also outsmart a romance scammer by requesting more money.
If the scammer has sent you flowers, money, and others in the past to win your trust, then you can request more.
The idea is to frustrate them and make them realize you are playing with them. You can threaten to break up if they don’t want to spend more money.
If they accept the breakup, then it is fine by you.
Block the Romance Scammer
Before you block the romance scammer, you can expose them and tell them you knew. Thank the scammer for the flower and money. If they threaten to report you to the police, they should go ahead.
The scammer wouldn’t even dare to try such because the scammer would be the one arrested instead of you.
Safety Tips When Outsmarting a Romance Scammer
These tips will keep you safe when trying to outsmart a romance scammer. Bear in mind that romance scammers are humans like you and me, so you shouldn’t be scared of them like some ghosts in a horror movie.
Educate yourself.
Learn about how romance scams work and how to spot them. Scammers often make fake accounts, act like they have strong feelings for the person, and then ask for money or personal information.
Don’t give out personal information.
Don’t give someone you’ve only met online sensitive information like your full name, phone number, or financial information.
You can give out your address to receive flowers, as there is nothing special a scammer can do with your address if you are aware of such a scammer.
Take your time.
People who want to scam you will often try to hurry you into making a choice. Take your time getting to know someone, and be wary of anyone who tries to rush you into a relationship or money commitment.
Ask questions:
Ask them specific questions about their life and what they’ve done, and listen to what they say. Scam artists may not give thorough answers or get angry when asked questions.
Be careful with your money.
Never send money or gifts to someone you haven’t met in person. Scammers often tell sad stories to get their victims to give them money.
Talk to your family and friends:
When trying to outsmart a romance scammer, do not do it alone. Make sure to involve a family member, a trusted friend, or someone with more knowledge. They may be able to look at it from an outsider’s point of view and spot danger signs you may have missed.
That way, you can have someone to guide you as you try to win a romance scammer and beat them to the game.
Conclusion
Outsmarting a romance scammer may seem daunting, but it can be achieved with the right precautions and knowledge. The key lies in being vigilant while exploring online dating platforms and being cautious when communicating with potential partners.
As a first step, always conduct online image searches to verify the authenticity of profile pictures. This can help identify scammers who use stolen or fake images to lure victims. Also, never provide personal information or financial assistance to anyone you haven’t met.
Furthermore, be mindful of the warning signs such as sudden displays of affection, requests for money, or reluctance to have video calls. Taking the time to educate yourself about the common tactics scammers use can significantly reduce your vulnerability.
Incorporating a healthy level of skepticism and using trustworthy sites and apps will enhance your online dating experience. Following these tips and staying informed, you can successfully outsmart romance scammers and create a safer, more enjoyable online dating journey.
