Unfortunately, mail order bride scams happen even on the most reputable platforms, and nobody is protected from those. But knowledge is power, and if you are aware of bride scam schemes, you are more likely to avoid being their victim. So let us speak about the most popular mail order bride scams and hove to avoid them.
What is a mail order bride scam
Mail order bride scam is a form of a fraudulent scheme that focuses on potential grooms. As a rule, in such schemes, fraudsters use fake accounts to get close to potential victims (usually, the victims are men from Western Europe and North America) and ask for money. There are many schemes and types of these scams, just like this sham marriage one; moreover, every year, fraudsters come up with new ones, so if you use dating sites, you have to be super careful. We will take a look at the most common scam schemes in order to help you protect yourself from them.
Common mail order brides scams
A potential bride who wants to meet you in real life
The first scheme is very simple. A very attractive woman starts messaging you and shows her interest in you. It only takes a few days before she tells you she loves you and really wants to meet you in real life. At the same time, this woman says that she has no money to travel to your country and asks you to fund her trip. Of course, once you send the money for the flight tickets, your “girlfriend” disappears. However, some fraudsters dare to ask for more money, claiming that the amount you sent wasn’t enough to buy the tickets. The best solution here is to buy the tickets yourself and only after making sure you are talking to a real woman.
Woman who has sick relatives and asks for financial help
This scheme is very similar to the previous one. An attractive woman messages you and declares her love after a few days of messaging. Then all of a sudden, she tells you that her kid/mom/dad/sibling is seriously ill and needs very expensive treatment. At first, most fraudsters do not ask for money and only tell you about their “sick” relative to make you feel sorry for them. In case you do not offer financial help yourself, they start asking for your money. Of course, the “sick relative” does not exist, and most likely, you are not even messaging with a woman. So avoid sending your money to strangers even if they beg you to help them save their relative’s life.
Fraudsters who threaten you and demand your money
The final scheme is more aggressive than the previous ones. As a rule, an attractive woman starts messaging you and asks about many details about your private life. Very often, fraudsters lure your private photos, especially nudes. Once they have enough dirt on you, they start threatening you and asking for your money. The standard threats look something like this: “I will send your dirty pictures to all your friends, relatives, and coworkers and ruin your life unless you give me money.” Unfortunately, such fraudsters continue threatening you even after you send them money, making you give them more. Of course, this is completely illegal, but in most cases, there is nothing you can do after you have already sent your pictures. So we strongly advise you to avoid sending nudes or any provocative content to random users on dating sites.
How to avoid bride scams?
- Beware of accounts that seem too good to be true
- Do not trust the women who say they love you after a few days of messaging
- Avoid contacting the accounts that don’t have many photos and profile info
- Stop communicating with the users who refuse to have a video call
- Never send your nudes and provocative content to strangers
- Do not communicate with the ladies who ask for your money
10 questions to ask a scammer
Luckily, most scammers are easy to detect with the help of some simple questions. In other words, if a woman cannot give a correct or so-called “normal” answer to some questions, that means she is a scammer. So here are these questions:
- Can we arrange a video call?
- What is your full name?
- Can you give me your Instagram or Facebook page?
- What is your favorite restaurant in your town?
- Would you like to talk to me over the phone?
- Could you tell me something about your family?
- What’s your zodiac sign?
- Do you want to meet in real life?
- What school did you go to?
- Can I have your address and postal code to send you something?
These questions will help you distinguish a scammer from an actual bride. As a rule, scammers cannot give full answers to certain questions, fail to give correct answers to questions about the school they attended and particular locations in their city, as well as refuse to give their social media links, arrange a video call, or meet in real life.
How to find a reliable mail order bride platform
Certainly, the chances of meeting scammers on legit platforms are significantly lower, but how to find such a platform? Here are some tips and tricks for you:
- Avoid poorly-designed sites
- Do not register on free websites
- Always do your research on the platforms before signing up
- Read users’ reviews
Find more info about choosing the best dating platforms here.
