Swipe Smart: Staying Safe While Dating Online – Know the Signs, Trust Your Instincts, and Stay One Step Ahead

By Former McCabe Russell Client | June 5, 2025

Swipe Smart: Staying Safe While Dating OnlineIt all began with a simple, seemingly harmless message.  He was charming, attentive, and had an uncanny way of saying exactly what I wanted to hear.  What unfolded over the next four days was a textbook case of catfishing, proving just how calculated and deceptive online dating scams can be.

The Encounter

He introduced himself as a widower and a highly skilled surgeon working abroad, searching for companionship and someone to heal his heart.  He painted himself as a hopeless romantic who would be returning the U.S. in four weeks. Conversations focused on his unrelenting desire for me and the bond we seemed to share. Intertwined in these conversations were countless personal questions.  My instincts told me something was off, yet curiosity kept me engaged–partly to confirm my suspicions and partly to better understand the tactics at play. To that end, I began to take screenshots of our conversations.

Over the course of the next few days, numerous red flags began to accumulate.  In classic catfish fashion, he quickly pressured me to move off the original dating platform and onto Signal (an encrypted messaging platform) for “more privacy”.  Prior to transitioning to Signal, I requested that he share his last name, allowing me to begin verifying his identity and digital footprint. While overly eager to share static pictures, he shied away from any video call or spontaneous selfie request—unusual for someone claiming to want more intimate conversations.

Having gathered enough information to confirm he was a fraud, I confronted him.  Instead of validating his identity, he doubled down with excuses as to why he needed to maintain a low profile. Despite all of this, he continued to profess his love and deep affection for me.

In the end, I blocked him and reported his profile, but this experience revealed important lessons that every woman using dating apps should know.

Steps to Protect Yourself from Online Dating Scams

✅ 1. Verify Their Identity

  • Reverse Image Search — Upload their profile picture to Google Images, PimEyes, or TinEye to check for duplicates/potential fraud.
  • Check Their Online Presence – A lack of social media or professional footprint is a red flag.
  • Request a Video Call — Scammers avoid live interaction.

✅ 2.  Protect Your Personal Information

  • Never share financial details, home address, sensitive data (e.g. answers to your security questions on your financial account)
  • Use a separate email for dating sites to prevent scammers from linking personal accounts.

✅ 3. Watch for Financial Requests

  • Never send money, gift cards, or personal banking details – no matter how convincing the story sounds.
  • Beware of investment scams – especially cryptocurrency schemes.

✅ 4. Research Their Story

  • Ask specific questions about their background
  • Verify their job, location, or education with a web search
  • Check scammer tactics on trusted sites like the Federal Trade Commission (FTC) and Better Business Bureau (BBB)

✅ 5. Use Dating Platform Safety Tools

  • Stick to reputable dating sites with photo verification, fraud detection and reporting features, making them riskier for scammers. Moreover, encrypted messaging apps make it harder for victims to trace and report the scammer.
  • Report suspicious profiles immediately to protect others.

✅ 6. Trust Your Instincts

  • If it feels too good to be true, it probably is.
  • When in doubt, seek a second opinion from a friend or family member, and begin to take screenshots of your conversations in case the scammer deletes the account.

✅ 7. Avoid Unsolicited Files

  • Never open or download files from someone you don’t fully trust. Scan attachments with antivirus software or use an online scanner like VirusTotal before opening.
  • Be extremely cautions when clicking on links.

Resources & Helpful Links

Final Thoughts

Online dating doesn’t have to be dangerous, but it requires vigilance. Scammers rely on emotional manipulation, so staying skeptical and taking steps to verify identities can help you stay safe.

💡  If you’re unsure about someone’s identity use the tools above to investigate further.

⚠️ Stay cautious, trust your instincts, and don’t let scammers win!

Posted in Dating Online