How to avoid gay dating scams?

To know how to avoid gay dating scams, you must first know what romance scams are and who are people behind them are.

Romance scams occur when a criminal adopts a fake online identity to gain a victim’s affection and trust. The scammer then uses the illusion of a romantic or close relationship to manipulate and steal from the victim.
The criminals who carry out romance scams are experts at what they do and will seem genuine, caring, and believable. Con artists are present on most dating and social media sites.

What are the signs of you being scammed?

Scammers are good at turning stories to lure in their victims. However, some red flags might help you spot them. These include the following:

They like to move communications away from dating websites. They may even suggest that you move to instant messaging, text, or phone calls instead,
They ask a lot of personal questions.
They avoid answering personal questions about themselves. The details that they do tell you to seem made up or don’t reflect reality. For instance, they may say they’re university educated, but their spelling and grammar are poor.
They try to establish a bond fast. For instance, they may give you an adorable pet name or tell you that ‘they’ve never felt like this before.’
They ask for financial help. They may also tell you about money problems frequently in the hope that you’ll offer to help.
You never meet them in person.
They may promise to see you but either cancel every time or offer excuses that delay meeting up, like financial troubles.
You perform a reverse image search of their profile photo, which seems to belong to someone else.

How to protect yourself from being scammed

Dating websites and apps can be valuable tools for meeting someone new. It’s wise to be careful when communicating with potential romantic interests. Here are some things which may help you avoid being scammed:

Don’t share personal information.

It would be best to be careful when picking your user name on dating websites – don’t include personal information like your location (for example, ‘MartinFromParis’). If you share your full name, date of birth, and home address with a stranger, you may not know what they’ll do with it. Try not to share personal details online with people you know, either – you may send it to a fraudster pretending to be them.
Don’t send or receive money.
Do not send or receive money from anyone you’ve met online, no matter how convincing their story is. It applies to cash and your bank account, credit card, or other financial details. If the request comes from someone you think you know, check with them offline to ensure it’s them.

Use trusted dating websites.
Fraudsters want to take their criminal activity off reputable dating websites immediately. They will likely try to convince you to interact with them via social media or text messaging. It is so that the dating website has no proof of them asking you for money. If you’re in touch with someone on this website, communicate with them through the site’s messaging services.
Don’t share personal contact details.

Use a website that lets you keep your details private until you’re ready to share them. These include your contact details, such as your phone number, email, or home address.
Think twice before using your webcam.
Be careful when using your webcam with a new online love interest, even if it’s someone whom you think you know. They can use the footage against you. It applies to cameras on all devices, from computers and laptops to smartphones and tablets.
Trust your instincts.
If you feel like something is wrong, it may be. Be careful.

How to report a romance scam

You can report fake dating profiles to their websites. It will help the sites to close down any fraudulent accounts.

Suppose you’ve lost money to a romantic scammer or think they may have stolen your personal information. In that case, you can Report fraud (for EU citizens), which confidently treats reports.