The Red Flags: What to watch out for
The key to successful online dating is to explore with caution. In Internet romance, faith and trust in what your online partner is saying is of paramount importance. As with face-to-face romance, blind faith can be very dangerous and in most cases, painful.
Each encounter is unique and no one can give a quick and accurate assessment whether your online mate is a potential bomb. But there are some red flags that you should watch out for.
He sends undated photos
There have been several instances where the man sends his photos of 10 or even 20 years ago. Don’t assume that they are current photos. Ask how recent the pictures are. If you are seriously considering him as future mate, insist that he send you dated photos.
He looks movie star gorgeous
I am not saying that it is impossible for you to land a hunk from the Internet, but if a guy is a certified hunk, there is a slim chance that he will be posting an ad to find a girlfriend. If he is too gorgeous, there is a high probability that the photo isn’t his.
He doesn’t send full body shots
All his pictures are facial shots and no body shots. Your guy might have a problem with his posterior that he doesn’t want you to see yet. It could be his height or a physical deformity. If these are considerations for you, insist on full body photographs.
He is too good to be true
If he says he is young, Ivy League educated, drives a Porsche, plays soccer, cooks gourmet, plays the piano, writes poetry, does volunteer work, still single and looking for a girlfriend on the Internet, you can say you are a supermodel, and a MENSA member who teaches catechism in Sunday school.
Be wary of guys who are too perfect. This might just be his illusion of what he wants to be. Regular guys with regular faults are safer bets.
He doesn’t have a contact number
You are now on the telephone-calling stage but the problem is, he is the only one who can call. He can’t be contacted.
If he cannot give you his work number, home number or mobile number, and insists that he be the one to call you, something is amiss. He may be lying about his situation, his work, his status, and does not want you to have the chance to go poking around. If he gives you a number and says you can only call during a specific period of time, there is a great chance that there is someone else whom he doesn’t want to talk to you. If you are just having fun and don’t really care, you can just shrug it off. But if both of you are getting emotionally involved, he should give you a number where he can be contacted.
He is only online during work hours
A person may not have a PC at home but if he says he has, but he can’t be online during off-work hours, there is a chance he is staying with someone he has a relationship with and he doesn’t want the risk of being caught having a cyber relationship.
He asks for money
The Internet has been used by many unscrupulous people to defraud hopeful, naïve, and lovelorn people from other sides of the world. If you start hearing stories about his miseries, financial troubles and hints for help, run! You may just be one of the love victims of this person hoping to get money from clueless Internet lovers.
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