With millions looking for love online, sweetheart scams (also known as 419 scams ) are occurring in epic proportions. And many are finding out they’ve lost a lot more than their hearts.

How does it work?

Dating scammers use several common methods to get you to part with your money. Below, you’ll find the most common.

The I’m Working Abroad and I Can’t Cash My Paycheck Scam
The scammer tells the victim that they’re working out of the country, but they’re having a hard time cashing their paycheck at a foreign bank. They ask you if you’ll cash a money order for them, and wire the money.

What happens next:
You deposit the money order, wire the cash, and all is lovely until a few days later when your bank discovers that the money order is fake and debits your account for the full amount. Bad news for you, as you’ve already sent the cash to Nigeria.

The I Was On My Way To The Airport And I Got Into A Terrible Accident Scam
You’ve met online, you’ve made a connection, and he/she can’t wait to be with you, so you send money for a plane ticket. Bad news! On the way to the airport, your date meets with a terrible accident and shockingly, the hospital only takes cash.

What happens next:
Maybe you talk on the phone to a fake hospital administrator, maybe you just send the money right away. Either way, your sweetheart’s medical issues will continue to get worse, and more expensive until you run out of cash. Then, you’ll never hear from them again.

The Great Expectations Scam
You sign up via high pressure sales tactics with a local dating agency only to discover they’ve misrepresented the number of members, number of potential matches for you, or number of couples who’ve met through their service — but by the time you find out, you’re already past their 3-day contract cancellation window.

What happens next:
You’re probably out thousands of dollars. Check with your state Attorney General to see what your next steps are, and mention the Arizona Attorney General’s case.

How to protect yourself:

1) Don’t send money to someone you’ve never met in person. Sweetheart scammers will take months to set you up, and it will feel like a real relationship.

2) Most internet dating scams originate in Nigeria and Russia, so be extremely cautious with dating anyone living in those regions, even if they pretend to be from the UK or USA.

3) Stay on the dating site to communicate, don’t give out your personal email. Many sites are set up to flag members who ask for money and shut them down.

4) Guard your account information and personal information carefully

5) Some dating sites claim to protect you from scams, however you should always be sure to follow Internet safety precautions.

6) Don’t send money.

7) Trust your gut instinct. Many victims of Internet crime have reported feeling like something was “not quite right.” Pay attention to what your instincts are telling you.

If you’ve been scammed on the Internet, who should you report it to? The Internet Crime Complaint Center

Lisa

Get more free dating advice from Lisa Daily & DatingExpert.TV!
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Dating Coach and Relationships Expert Lisa Daily is the bestselling author of two dating books, Stop Getting Dumped!, How to Date Like a Grownup and the totally funny novel Fifteen Minutes of Shame. You’ve seen her everywhere from Entertainment Tonight to the HITCH movie DVD.

DrawtheDog.com recently conducted a poll that asked:

If your significant other said, “Either the dog leaves or I do,” who would go?

The answers so far…

My (formerly) significant other 71%

We’d work it out 28%

In other words, over two-thirds of people would make their significant other sleep outside before they kicked out their dog!

How about you? Is dog really woman’s best friend?

Lisa

Have a question for Lisa Daily? Leave a comment below.

Get more free dating advice from Lisa Daily & DatingExpert.TV!
Sign up for the free Dating Tips newsletter below and we’ll send you * * 5 Secrets to Make the Guys Go Gaga!* We never share or sell your info.

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Dating Coach and Relationships Expert Lisa Daily is the bestselling author of two dating books, Stop Getting Dumped!, How to Date Like a Grownup and the totally funny novel Fifteen Minutes of Shame. You’ve seen her everywhere from Entertainment Tonight to the HITCH movie DVD.

Be sure to tune in to Daytime on Tuesday, January 19 when I’ll be talking about 7 Things To Do if You’re Dateless on Valentine’s Day

7 Things To Do If You’re Dateless on Valentine’s Day

No other holiday drives home the fact that you’re single so much as Valentine’s Day. The mushy diamond commercials. The candy. The overpowering stench of roses in the hallways of your office building. For the uninvolved, it can be downright annoying. For those who want to be in a relationship but aren’t, it can be utterly painful.

But, there’s lots of fun to be had if you know where to look: Below you’ll find seven fun dateless options that will make even your most blissfully-coupled friends envious of your Valentine’s Day plans.

1) Recycle Your Ex

Throw a singles-only party where everyone brings an ex who was nice, but just not “The One.” (Sort of a People Potluck.)
Add snacks, a few mixed drinks, and you’ve got yourself a Valentine’s day blast.

2) Vegas, Baby

Get Some friends together, take a long weekend, (and a cheap flight) and head to the most singles-friendly destination on the planet.
Do it right, and you won’t even remember it’s February 14.

3) Give a Day of Service

Instead of spending the day sitting around and moping about your love life, spend a day helping others. Whether you swing a hammer at a Habitat for Humanity house or serve dinner at your local homeless shelter, nothing makes us feel better, or appreciate what we do have than helping others less fortunate.

4) Do Your Taxes

Okay, so this one isn’t really going to be that much fun, but think of it this way: every restaurant in town is going to be booked anyway,
and you’ll have a HUGE weight off your shoulders for the next two months. Plus, filing early can shorten your refund time by weeks!

5) Throw an Anti-Love Movie Fest

Invite a few friends, load up on slashers and cheese-corn, and camp out on the sofa. Nothing will keep your mind Valentine’s Day-free
like screaming until you’re hoarse and scaring the crap out of yourself and five or six of your closest pals.

6) Babysit for some married friends or a single parent with a hot date

Finding a babysitter on a weekend Valentine’s Day is about as complicated as determining the molecular formula of SPAM.
Take the pressure off somebody who really needs a little romance in their lives by offering to babysit while they head out for a
night on the town. It’s not exactly glamorous, but the good karma will follow you around for the rest of the year.
(Besides, if you’re not getting lucky on Valentine’s Day, at least somebody should…)

7) Throw a Pajama Party or Poker Night

You’re never too old to invite the girls over for a night of junk food, amateur pedicures and girl talk.
Lisa

Lisa appears every week on Daytime, check your local TV listings for times and stations.

Get more free dating advice from dating coach Lisa Daily & DatingExpert.TV!
Sign up for the free Dating Tips newsletter below and we’ll send you * 5 Secrets to Make the Guys Go Gaga!* We never share or sell your info.

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Dating Coach and Relationships Expert Lisa Daily is the bestselling author of two dating books, Stop Getting Dumped!, How to Date Like a Grownup and the totally funny novel Fifteen Minutes of Shame. You’ve seen her everywhere from Entertainment Tonight to the HITCH movie DVD.