[dropcap style=”font-size: 60px; color: #e50707;”] T [/dropcap]hey are like the proverbial rotten and worm-infested misfits that try to mingle in a basketful of fine apples. Fake accounts and profiles can be the bane of those who innocently take part in online dating sites; unfortunately, they seem to proliferate even more as more Internet-based dating sites continue to be set up to meet with increasing demand. The best online dating sites often remind their members and users to be wary of these fabricated accounts, the better for them to avoid these profiles altogether. But why is it that fake personal profiles do exist in a dating site anyway, and how can you recognize and evade them? Read on so that you might learn more.
Before we learn how to identify bogus member accounts in online dating sites, we should first determine what causes them to appear in the first place. Fictitious online dating accounts first appeared on newly-established or lesser-known dating websites that would enable them to effectively compete with top dating sites. These newer and smaller sites often do not have enough financial resources or advertising that would enable them to go toe-to-toe with the big names in the industry.
As such, some of these websites have gone so far as to concoct profiles that artificially add to their membership base, in the process making them appear to be successful and popular. When it does attract real members, it takes down these fake profiles like they have never existed in the first place. One of the most established and best dating sites, Match.com, has even come up with a phrase that aptly describes this fraudulent activity – “seeding and weeding.” There even some unscrupulous dating websites that use computer software that plant “bots” or artificial users into their account databases. The practice has gone over to popular social media networking websites like MySpace and Facebook, so it is crucial that you identify them as soon as you encounter them.
Here, now, are the ways in which you can distinguish fake profiles and dating accounts:
1) Know the site’s reputation
Determine first whether the dating website that you are using is one of those listed among the best online dating sites or is one of those newly-established and less-visited ones. Fraudulent accounts and profiles abound in any dating website, but they tend to occur more in smaller and lesser-known web personal sites. We must emphasize, however, that not all contemporary and small-scale dating websites work this way, but you do need to be more discerning every time you use them.
2) Look out for personal profiles that look too perfect or appear to be unbelievably true
Consider this to be one of those important online dating tips that you should always keep in mind whenever you do your searching in a personals site. More often than not, the possibility of you getting that ideal hunk or rich guy for a date is a lot lower compared to you meeting up with one of the hundreds or even thousands of average-looking men who had put up their accounts in the website. Thus, in a bona fide site, you can only expect to find few such accounts depicting these special kinds of men. However, if you do see that there is an inordinate amount of profiles that depict good-looking and wealthy men who lead inexplicably easy and lavish lives, take them all with a grain of salt. Better yet, shun these profiles altogether, because it is highly probable that they are but mere products of one’s imagination.
3) Scrutinize the profile’s posted photos
This method is somewhat similar to the second one, but in this case you do need to carefully check if the person who is depicted on the photograph appears to be too perfect or too beautiful. Chances are there would be those who do indeed possess the looks and composure of a model, but sadly there are only few of those who truly have them. However, if you see in a dating site that there appears to be a plethora of handsome guys and sexy ladies that populate its membership rolls, then better be warned about the possibility that they are merely fakes and nothing much else.
4) Watch out for member profiles that are actually fronts for product or service advertisements
Let’s say you have chanced upon this unbelievably fit and good-looking man in one of those lesser-known dating sites. You seem to like him at first, until you get to read his overall profile; it finally dawns on you that the man only seemed to discuss about what kind of weight-loss product or health supplement he used to achieve the great body that he now has. His whole membership profile, in short, is just an advertisement in disguise. What makes this worse is the fact that the advertised product or service would often turn out to be a sham or is basically ineffective. Unfortunately, this type of profile is also used on some social networking websites, so spare yourself a favor and try to stay away from it.
5) Pay attention to profiles that are accompanied by inexplicable provisos
Sometimes, these fake dating accounts have conditions that are tied to them; this is because the “account holder” would like you to fulfill these conditions first before he can get to communicate or meet up with you. The terms can either range from having you visit this member’s site first where you will then be accosted by product ads or service promos), to open attempts at extortion or personal fraud. When you encounter these kinds of fake profiles, the only effective dating advice that you can employ would be to completely shun these accounts; also, never, in any instance, willingly give away your personal data to other people that you have not met yet.
Fake accounts and profiles do exist in dating sites, but you can be better off without them. This is one of those dating tips that would prove to be invaluable to you every time you participate in an Internet-based personals site.
