ClickCease Sensitive people more vulnerable to online dating scams > Master Matchmakers®

Sensitive people more vulnerable to online dating scams

Wednesday, April 27, 2016

Sensitive people more vulnerable to online dating scams

Sensitive and less emotionally intelligent people are more likely to be vulnerable to online dating scams says a study presented today at the British Psychological Society's Annual Conference in Nottingham.

Lead author Dr Martin Graff of the University of South Wales said: “Perpetrators of dating scams simply set up false profiles on dating websites with the sole purpose of extracting money from their victims. The scammer first grooms a victim by expressing love for them before outlining their desperate circumstances.

"They then attempt to request money from the victim. Our study focused on why some individuals are more likely to become the victims of these scams than others.”

Over 90 victims of dating scams took part in questionnaires relating to their personality, how they relate to other people, self-esteem and emotional intelligence; as well as their age and gender*.

Analysis of the results revealed that victims had used dating sites for less than four weeks and had parted with amounts ranging from £50 to £63,000. Victims had a tendency to be efficient, organised and disciplined. However, they also were more likely to express emotion and display a preoccupied attachment style. This means they could be overly dependent on and seeking approval from the person to whom they are attached.

Dr Graff said: “With the rise in the number of people using online dating, more and more people are likely to fall victim. Scammers use sophisticated techniques and eventually may begin to know exactly the sort of people to target and how to manipulate them.

“These findings will be beneficial to dating sites and law enforcement agencies in attempting to protect the vulnerable from being scammed. Further research should include interviews with a larger sample of people who have been the dating scam victims.”

This article originally appeared on The British Psycological Society

Heartcoach  Get Started

Complete our confidential Get Started form to be contacted by a representative so you can discuss your criteria and what we can do for you. Click this Get Started button to begin.
 

get startedGet Started

Heartcoach  
About Us

Joann Ward has over 30 years of experience in the dating service industry. Along with her son, CEO Steve Ward they became internationally known as the Hosts and Executive Producers of VH1 Tough Love. 

Learn More...

heartkey Personal
Coaching

To assist our clients in finding, forming and maintaining the ideal relationship we offer professional dating and relationship coaching as a complement to or substitute for matchmaking. You will meet your coach face-to-face to identify patterns, break habits, learn best practices and plan ahead.

Guaranteed*
Matches

We present your photos and profile to prospective matches and vice versa. We do our best to advocate for you and create interest. If you both accept the match we exchange numbers and expect you to get acquainted before you meet. Your feedback continuously improves the process.

logos
*Our Guarantee. The information we provide regarding other individuals is reliable to the best of our knowledge. Everyone has their identity, age and photos verified and is subject to public record background checks. If information we provide is found to be inaccurate we discount the match and try again. We cannot guarantee or promise a certain outcome or result from matchmaking or coaching. Nothing we say or do can be construed as a guarantee about the outcome of your experience. Our past or future comments about the outcome of your experience, potential matches, estimates of fees and time frames or our opinions are not guarantees. Actual fees and time frames may vary from the estimates given.