Online Dating Red Flags Checklist: Spot Romance Scams & Fake Profiles | Printable Guide
Online Dating Red Flags Checklist: Spot Romance Scams & Fake Profiles | Printable Guide
Is your match too good to be true?
Their photos look like a model's, and there are only three of them. After one day of chatting, they want to move the conversation to WhatsApp. They say "I love you" before you've met. Something always comes up when you suggest a video call. Then there's an emergency, and they need money. Or they have a "can't-miss" crypto investment they'd like to show you.
Most online dating is genuine. But scammers use the same apps, and they follow predictable patterns. Once you know those patterns, they're hard to miss.
This one-page checklist lays them all out so you can trust your gut and then check it against the list.
What's on the checklist
🖼️ Profile Red Flags
- Too-perfect photos that look like a model or stock images (reverse image search them)
- Very few photos, no candid shots, or a refusal to add more
- Vague or inconsistent details about their job, location, or background
🚩 Behavior Red Flags
- Pushing to leave the app quickly for text, WhatsApp, or email
- Declaring love quickly ("love bombing") before you've met
- Always having an excuse not to video chat or meet in person
- A story that keeps changing or doesn't add up
💸 The Money Ask
- Any request for money: emergencies, travel, customs fees, medical bills
- Requests for gift cards, crypto, or wire transfers
- A "can't-miss" investment they want to help you with
🛡️ Protect Yourself
- Video chat before meeting, to confirm they're real
- Tell a friend who you're talking to and when you're meeting
- Never send money or intimate photos to someone you haven't met
⚡ Pro tip: A genuine match will understand caution. Anyone who pressures you, rushes things, or gets angry when you ask to verify them is showing you who they are.
Perfect for
- Anyone on Tinder, Bumble, Hinge, Match, or Facebook Dating
- Singles returning to dating after a break
- Anyone talking to someone they haven't met in person
- Parents and friends helping someone spot a scam
Format
- 1 printable page, US Letter
- Instant digital download
- Unlimited personal printing
- Read it in minutes, and keep it by your phone
Pairs well with the Dating App Privacy Settings Card, the Payment App Safety Checklist, and the Online Dating Safety Bundle.
Making Sense Of Security: practical security, explained plainly.
www.MakingSenseOfSecurity.com
Great Companion Guides
Pair this checklist with:
- Dating App Privacy Settings Card
- Payment App Safety Checklist
- Wire Transfer Safety Card
- Phone Location Privacy Settings Card
- Turning Off Location Sharing Card
- Identity Theft Warning Signs Checklist
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