| Connections VIP wants you to use our services to make connections that will change your life. The services we provide help you to find other people who share the same interests that you do, and meet those people through a variety of innovative online and in-person venues.
However, because we use an online profile database, we may be unknowingly targeted by dishonest people. Unfortunately, ALL online dating sites are potential targets for certain fraudulent behavior and scams. For that reason, we list the following questions to help you evaluate the people you meet through our site – or any other dating site you may be using.
As you make new connections online, ask yourself the following questions. The issues explored here are extremely common online dating scams used by dishonest people.
1. Does your new connection seem too good to be true? If your new connection is everything you’ve ever hoped for in terms of looks, interests, financial situation and personality, that’s great. But if things seem a bit too perfect, please use caution. Some criminals post phony photos and make up profiles in order to lure people into contacting them. Once they have established contact, this scam can lead in a number of directions. If a profile makes overt references to wealth or sex, chances are good that the poster is not legitimate. Report potentially fraudulent profiles immediately to: profilealert@connectionsvip.com
THE BOTTOM LINE: Do not trust anyone until you have a good reason to do so. Be suspicious of overt references to wealth or sex in any profile and report fraudulent posters.
2. Does your new connection live in another country, particularly Nigeria or Russia? This poster may tell you that he or she is an American, working in a different country temporarily. This person will tell you that they are paid for this work by money order and that they are having difficulty cashing their paychecks.
This is a very common scam, unfortunately. In many cases, the foreign “worker” will spend months building your trust, send you small gifts and even profess love for you. The goal is to ensure your trust and make you comfortable enough to help “cash” their paychecks without asking questions.
The foreign “worker” will arrange for an amount of money to be wired to a Western Union or other wire service in your area, supposedly their paycheck from their employer. They will ask you to wire this money to them, minus a small sum that they want you to keep to cover fees and to thank you for your effort.
When you deposit the funds, your bank may initially show the wired funds as deposited in your account, but you will find shortly that they were fraudulent and the amount will be deducted from your balance. You are liable for repaying your bank any money that has been lost as a result.
THE BOTTOM LINE: Do not exchange financial information or agree to conduct transactions with anyone you meet online, regardless of your feelings for this person or the length of time you have “known” them. Honest people looking for real connections do NOT get involved in financial transactions with people they meet online.
3. Does your new connection live somewhere other than your city and want to come visit you? Are they asking for help to finance their visit? As a general rule, if you are comfortable enough with someone to allow them to visit you, that’s great. However, you should not agree to help pay for such a visit.
THE BOTTOM LINE: If someone wants to visit you, do not agree to help finance their visit. Money should not be an initial part of a new connection.
Sadly, there are more scams out there than we can list fully here. If you come across dishonest behavior, suspect that someone you have met at Connections VIP is engaged in fraudulent behavior or find a profile that you believe is not legitimate, please report it immediately by emailing: profilealert@connectionsvip.com
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