Most internet romance scams are easy to detect, and avoid!

They really are!
First, never send money to somebody you only know from the internet, or phone calls!
There's no way around it.
Nobody who is online asking for money is going to starve, get arrested, get evicted, or have anything bad happen to them because you didn't send them money.
(OK, there is one bad thing that may happen to them.....they may have to get a real job!)
Nobody is going to send you a 'trunkbox' full of money, gold, or jewels because you paid some courier or customs fees.

Always expect to see a face on cams! (Most of these scams are conducted using stolen pictures and/or identity. You are not in contact with the person in the pictures, and who they claim to be.
There are cams everywhere. The scammers will use many excuses why they can't use one. Move on.
Long distance, cross-cultural relationships are difficult enough. Make sure you are in contact with somebody you can interact with.

Learn to use Google!
(Good scambaiters, and victims, post the information about scammers online, so other victims may avoid being scammed.)
Want to feel real stupid? Send money to a scammer or scam mode that has been operating for years, with the same face, story, and often the same email address.
We have provided information to help you. USE IT!
Do a google search of email addresses the scammer uses, also any courier company, phone number. You'll be surprised.

Have realistic goals if you are hoping to find somebody 'special' online. Appropriate age, etc.
As a fat middle-aged man, I know young sexy, pretty ladies are not really interested in me.
Affluent men don't seek out 'average' middle aged ladies online, from Podunk, Nebraska, either.
(Sorry, but that's reality.)

There are some nice, real people online. Don't waste your time, or throw money at fakes and scammers.
Guys, young hot ladies in other countries won't show up at your local airport to meet you if you send them money. It doesn't happen. The requests for money to do this are called 'visa and travel' scams.
Ladies, glove-trotting businessmen or professionals do not need you to 'rescue' them, financially, while they travel. People who travel for work or business have resources to replace lost or stolen passports, wallets, and to pay hotel bills.

Need help with a possible scam or scammer? The following sites can provide help and information.
Dragonladies.org, Help with internet romance scams from Asia

romancescam.com, help with most types of internet love scams

Learn to do your own 'detective' work! You'll be surprised what you can find out about 'real' people, also. That charming guy or gal you meet online may be married, or have some personal history they may not tell you about.
I have used Spokeo for years, and find it a helpful tool in researching both scammers, and 'real' people.

Good luck, stay safe, and don't send money!

people search by Spokeo

How to detect 'dingbats'? (Safety in modern dating)

Sometimes long term marriages fail. One partner is unwillingly pushed back into the world of 'singles'.
This recently happened to a relative of mine. The marriage had been long, not perfect, he was willing to work at it, but she wasn't.
Getting your toes wet in the dating pool, again, takes some courage.
Maybe a lot of things have changed, culturally, since you were last a swinging single?
(Or maybe you are like me, and never really were?)
There are some nice and interesting people you can meet out there, and some real nutcases.
I've learned a lot about digging for info on the internet, with my avocation of chasing scammers. Some of these things apply to real life.
My relative has just started trying online dating, via one of the very commercial, heavily advertised dating sites, that like to throw the word 'God' around.
He asked me to see what I could find out about one lady he was interested in. She was attractive, local, and of an appropriate age.
Most real people are too enthralled with the internet! They leave too much information about themselves, scattered all about the 'net. In this case, it turned out to be good that this person likes the 'net. It took a few seconds to do a search on Spokeo, and you could see this lady was not exactly wrapped too tight.
As my relative said, 'She's a dingbat!'
(A short phone call with the lady confirmed this.)
Sometimes, Spokeo is good for things like this, it will help you uncover blog posts, facebook accounts, social network profiles, pictures, and more.

Search anybody by name, e-mail address, phone number, online username or even friends in your address book and instantly return lots of info.

If you are using online dating, or even just dating in general, Spokeo is a handy tool. You're not snooping, you are not getting access to things the person did not post on the 'net, publicly, but it may be something they forgot about, or something they conflicts with what they are telling you now, or how they are presenting themselves, now.
Another few tips: Get one of those lowcost, pre-paid cellphones, and use that number to give to new people you meet on dating sites. You can go on Amazon.com and pick up a 'Blu' phone, and pre-paid sim card, for under $30. Do you really need some dingbat you chatted with once, calling your 'real' phone?
Use a new, 'throwaway' email account for contact with new people. (Yahoo, Gmail, Hotmail, etc.)
If the person is local, be very careful about giving out where you work, or live, until you have met them a few times in a neutral, safe place.
People will hand you the tools to do some checking. The phone number, email address are all easily searched. You can even learn to use google image search to see where else 'those' pictures show up on the 'net. (Do they have other dating site profiles)
Be smart! Be safe! There are some good people on the 'net, you may be able to find one.

Spokeo, find personal info online fast

Spokeo is a tool I have used for years in scambaiting, and personal research.
It helps you find info online about anyone who has a presence, online.
The cost is modest, and I highly recommend it!

Search anybody by name, e-mail address, phone number, online username or even friends in your address book and instantly return lots of info.