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Posts from the ‘Questions & Complaints’ Category

26
Jan

Tricked By An Impersonator: Online Dating Scams

This can happen to anyone on any social site, it doesn’t have to be a dating service!

Bad people will use pictures of others to bait you into contacting and possibly meeting them. A picture can be copied from anywhere and reported to any site that wants photos or images.

Match.com has come under fire recently for such abuses by members and they say that they use special algorithms to detect such image fraud even being sued for $1.5 billon dollars.

Take this story published by Rawstory.com as an example and what you need to do when you find out the truth.

“New York man arrested for impersonating dead soldier on dating site”
It was the dead soldier’s sister that notified the police about the image theft and impersonation.

There is a level of trust between people that honesty is the best policy. Those that break this trust will take advantage of those that give this trust willingly.

Remember my Golden Rule: you don’t really know someone until you’re close enough to smell them.

22
Jan

Woman Loses $300,000: Online Dating Scam

As long as people can find love without meeting each other - and have a strong belief that love is what they’re in, then there is the “other side of the fence person” that just wants to rip you off.

Take the recent story of a 66-year-old San Jose divorcee as an extreme, but happening all too often, example. ABC News has all the details and there’s also some good advice about how to recognize the alarm bells that should be going off in your head when you’re falling into the love-spell of a scammer.

I will sum up what you need to know:

  • they seem unaware of current events where you live or tell you they live far away
  • they ask you to contact them outside of the dating service
  • the scammer asks you for money, small amount at first to test you, larger amounts later
  • they may seem “out of sorts” or forgetful about things you’ve talked about (because it’s a second person helping with the scam now talking with you

My Golden Rule of online dating is “It can’t be love until you’re close enough to smell them”.

13
Oct

OKCupid and Dating Members Info: Dating in the News

Privacy Study: Top U.S. Websites Share Visitor Personal Data WSJ Blogs - By Julia Angwin
NOTE: This post has been updated to include clarifications that were made to the original study. A study released Tuesday shows that 45% of the top 185 U.S. websites transmit identifying details about their visitors to at least four outside websites. The data transmitted was primarily a “username” – which is the name a person uses to log into a website – or a user ID assigned by the website to a user. It was usually transmitted through referrers – which is information about the web page transmitted automatically. Online date website OKCupid In some cases, the data went much further: the study found for instance that the online dating website OKCupid sent the gender, age, zip code, relationship status and ‘drug use frequency’ to two companies that sell personal data in auctions, BlueKai and Lotame. Lotame also received data about ‘relationship status’ and ‘drug use frequency.’
Read more …

22
Aug

Do you like pets? Dating Profile Headline of the Day

Pets can be great friends

What is your favorite type of pet?”

This question (and variations) can be found on most dating membership profile applications. As a question, alone and isolated, it’s harmless enough. Add the answer to the other 20 to 200 questions you may also be asked to complete in your dating service profile and it loses it’s importance, a little. But what if your answer to this question becomes the only reason why you will be contacted for a date or not?

The proper answer to this question is “I’ve been around many animals and if they have a good personality then they’re my favorite.”

Even if you already have a pet, you need to answer the question in a way that shows you have open arms for all pets, similar to my answer above. Don’t get pinned down by one type of pet (dog, cat, fish, bird or whatever), and allow yourself an opportunity to judge the animal on it’s own merits without upsetting the owner, and possible date, before contact has even made. Maybe this will lead to meeting the owner, right?

I’ve given you this example so you can understand the best way to answer a rather generic question that doesn’t give someone that will be reading your answer a reason to pass on by you.

For your dating profile headline suggestion, today I offer you this:
“Four legs, beaks or scales, they’re all friends to me.”

Have a great day!

13
Jun

Dating Profile Headline of the Day

Monday

Congrats, you made it to the beginning of another work week.

Obviously I’ve made it to this finish line with you. Or is this the starting line?

I really hate Mondays. Today all of the mistakes of last week catch up to you. Sucks, doesn’t it?

But let’s talk dating.

You know you’re successful with online dating when you get dates. You might not meet your destiny with any of the first few dates (but your batting average will greatly increase of you’re a member of this dating service).

Online dating has a few “set in stone” rules that you need to be fully aware of:
- Be honest (Not everybody lies on their dating profile, right?)
- Be available (that is, if you’ve found somebody you’re serious about, hide or delete your profile)
- Reply to messages (even if it’s to say “No thanks”)

And for your personal ad headline suggestion today, try nthis:
“I have never lied in an online personal ad!”

Have a great day!

25
Apr

Online Dating Burnout: Dating Profile Headline of the Day

Monday

Can you handle the pressure and stress of dating?

The online world offers dating adventures that continue to be made available for you but, do you suffer from “online dating burnout”?

Do you feel, after a while, that there just aren’t any matches that you honestly feel fit the profile of someone you’d like to settle down with?

The stress of finding and sending an intro message to “The One” overtakes a lot of people and they forget the primary reason why they started online dating:
1- meet new people
2- find love

Your own dating goal list might include going even further along your life plan to include marriage, children, where to live as a family, etc.

This seems very stressful to me, what do you think? Yes, just too much pressure is placed on every photo, every profile you look at. Each member easily has something wrong with them.

But, you know, if you start with online dating to meet new and interesting people you’ll do well. You’ll have at least one date a week, maybe more.

If right away your plan about online dating is marriage, then you’ve got a lot of work ahead of you. Plenty of personality tests, compatibility tests and the like. Which is good, because the more you complete the better your match will be. But if you’re not converting all this work into meeting one nice person a week you’re wasting your time on a dream that is certain to fail.

Plan to date and date to meet new people.

For your dating profile headline today I offer you this suggestion:
“Your plan includes meeting nice new people - like me!”

Have a great day!

24
Apr

Dating Safety Rules: Dating Profile Headline of the Day

Keep an eye on your drink!

Sunday

There has been a lot of noise over the past two weeks with Match.com deciding to check member profiles against a national (USA) sex offender registry.

While I do agree with any additional safety feature that any online service can offer as a way to better protect their members, I think that ultimately the safety of the person is the responsibility of the person.

Think of it this way, if you buy something online and use your credit card, a host of information now has to be secured by the merchant company to be able to not only process your order but also to maintain that personal information you had to agree to provide to complete the order.
You assume that the company will protect your information, use it only with your consent, and store it safely.
Ultimately, however, it is up to you to watch where you make a purchase and see that the online shop uses very good security of a provable service. And even the product you buy you might have done a little bit of research into.

With online dating not only should you use caution when selecting a dating service to use (that’s why we have reviewed more than 500 for you) you should do some simple search engine searches (google him/her) and maybe even check out their profile on social networking sites.

Finding out this type of information should be a basic part of your online dating adventure but remember, doing these steps to check out someone’s background is up to you. I suggest you do them, just to be a little more certain of your personal safety.

You may even want to open an account at “Net Detective” so you can run even more background and criminal checks against someone you might be interested in dating and know a little more about them without having to ask those uncomfortable questions.

And the biggest rule of dating online is this:
Tell a friend where and when you are going and when you will be returning and who you are going to meet. It would be best for you to have a friend “follow you” in a type of undercover security role.
Limit the meeting to a very public place in daylight and set a predetermined time for this date to end.
Never lose sight of your drinks and food. If you have an emergency trip to the bathroom, and you’ve left your food or drink on the table, when you return just order something different saying the food doesn’t agree with your stomach, or something similar.
And call someone when you get home safely. And if at any time you feel uncomfortable, make up an excuse and leave. And call your “security person” that you are headed home before then end of the date.
These rules should cover you for your first three dates, at a minimum.

For the headline of your online dating profile, try this:
“I’m not crazy my mother had me tested.”

Have a great day!


26
Mar

MVPdate.com Comments

Have you tried MVPdate.com yet?

This dating service is queued to be reviewed but I would like your comments first.

If you are a current or past member of this service I invite you to leave your comments on this page.

Thanks!

23
Mar

Singles of USA Comments

Have you tried Singles of USA yet?

This dating service is queued to be reviewed but I would like your comments first.

If you are a current or past member of SinglesofUSA.com please post your comments on this page.

Thanks!

22
Mar

Singles Canada Comments

Have you tried Singles Canada yet?

Have you tried Singles Canada yet?

I have this service queued to be reviewed but would like your comments about it first.

If you are a current or past member, please post your comments on this page.

Thanks!

21
Mar

Smingle.com Comments

Comments please

Have you tried Smingle.com yet?

I have a review queued for this online service and would like your comments about it if you’re a current or previous member.

Post your comments on this page.

Thanks!

21
Mar

Prison Hookup Comments

PrisonHookup.com

Have you tried PrisonHookup.com yet?

This online service is queued to be reviewed but I would like your comments about it first.

If you are a current or past member please post your comments on this page.

Thanks!

17
Feb

A Good Personal Ad Example

How to answer the big questions

Online dating ads generally ask you for some very specific information about yourself. Often it is more revealing than you want, or suspect it to be.

You are asked to search your soul for who would be a great match, sometimes you’re asked a series of questions that will help ‘them’ find a great date/mate for you. But if you can’t decide in advance what you want for dinner how can you possibly select ‘a la carte’ the type of person that would be a great match?

Ultimately it comes down to what you see and read to get your attention and attraction and interest.

So what makes a good personal ad? Follow the example and advice below.

1) Describe yourself.
- Sometimes polite, sometimes rash, I enjoy planning as well as spur of the moment styles. If you ask any of my friends they will say that I am quiet, funny and separately serious and comedic. You’ll see the best of me on our first date and the weirdest of me after I meet your family. LOL
- My favorite color is blue and my favorite place to vacation is Mexico. I prefer quiet to crowds and friends to acquaintances You can call me a regular guy and I wouldn’t complain about it, too much.
(it’s ok to be descriptive without giving too much away about yourself. Think of how you’d describe yourself over the phone to an old school pal)

2) Your likes/dislikes.
- Everyone has likes and dislikes, but is it fair to let you decide based on what I write here whether we might be compatible or not? I don’t think so. My answer is: I like you, I dislike this question.
(I honestly hate this type of question and I suggest that you work your way around this question without being too specific, biased, racist, fascist or other, Seriously.)

3) Describe the type of person you’re looking for.
- I am searching for someone that can be a good friend, not a shoulder to cry on, not someone to instantly bare my soul with but someone to share a mutual understanding of life and all the rewards. You will be hard working and soft spoken, strict and caring, an individual that shares. If I were to describe it one word the person I seek it would be “confident” because when you are secure in yourself you can be open with others.
(This is the hardest question to answer, even though many people just write down what they feel ‘at the moment’ which is usually a little insecure and a little more challenged to not offend any potential match. I suggest being direct and also allow your answer to be open to interpretation.)

The most important and relevant advice is I can give you is to be honest and be yourself.
Also, don’t answer anything that makes you uncomfortable.

And enjoy your adventure with online dating!

12
Feb

Catch a ‘bot’ in a chat

Chat bot robot

This article details how to know if the “person” you’re chatting with is really human… definitely food for thought.

Much as the author of this article has not been chatted up by a bot, neither have I. But internet rumors abound and if there is profit in it, you can bet your bottom dollar that it’s being done by some unscrupulous people.

Chatter beware!

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