Avoiding Dating Scams in Barranquilla Colombia

Dating Colombian women online can be risky, especially if you’re thousands of miles away from their country.

We get it, they’re desirable women. Who wouldn’t want to date one? That’s why, despite the distance, men around the world go out of their way to meet and date them.

However, meeting women through online dating has its perils, one of which is the possibility of dealing with romance or dating scams. It’s when scammers introduce themselves under the pretense of a stolen identity to lure victims into a romantic relationship with them.

Once affection and trust are built, they trick their prey into sending money through wire transfers.

When the target starts to realize there’s something wrong, the scammers disappear without a trace, leaving the victim heartbroken and with an empty wallet.

Ultimately, we want you to avoid that while trying to find love in Colombia, particularly in Barranquilla.

We’re not saying there’s an epidemic of dating scammers in the area. We only want you to have the best dating experience you can have while meeting women in this city.

That being said, we’ll be discussing how to spot online romance scammers and ways to avoid them.

Part 1 — Red Flags: Signs It’s a Scam

You’ve probably heard numerous romance scammer stories.

Most of them start with “I met him/her in *insert famous dating site here*” and end with “I lost a substantial amount of money.”

We can’t help but feel bad for these people. If only they saw the signs.

To prevent this from ever happening to you, below are common romance scammer tactics to look out for:

1. She professes her love too quickly.

Most con artists will try their hardest to instantaneously build a bond with you.

She’ll often use the words “fate” and “destiny” when describing your online encounter. She’ll try her best to make you think she’s your soulmate. She’ll start calling you pet names and confides that she’s never felt like this with anyone before.

Of course, all of these are tricks to gain your affection. No matter how sincere she pledges her love and devotion to you, you need to leave a bit of skepticism — don’t cave in and trust entirely.

2. She tries to lure you off the dating platform.

Dating scammers prefer to take their fraudulent activities off the dating app as soon as possible; this prevents them from being traced.

She will try to convince you to continue the interaction via email or social media. Consider it a red flag. You should never give out your email to an online stranger.

3. Her face appears under several different names in a Google reverse image search.

Most dating scammers don’t use their actual faces when conducting their schemes. They usually grab photos they find online and use the same image repeatedly under different names. Hence, it’s advisable to do a google search using her photos.

4. She asks you for money for several “valid” reasons.

The goal of the scam is to get as much money as they can off of you. They’ll use every trick and reason in the book.

Here are some common examples:

• There’s a health emergency and she needs money to pay off her medical bill.
• She needs to pay her rent or she’ll get kicked out.
• She needs money to buy plane tickets to meet you.
• She asks you for capital to start a business venture with her.

If she uses these storylines coupled with other red flags, there’s a chance she’s a scammer.

Part 2 — Tips to Keep Yourself Safe from Romance Scams

Though online dating comes with certain risks, that shouldn’t discourage you from giving it a try. Meeting and falling in love online is a risky endeavor in itself, but millions of people still do it anyway.

Truly, there are a lot of people who’ve successfully found love on dating sites and apps. You’ll surely find yours too.

Going back to the topic, here’s how to outsmart a romance scammer:

1. Refrain from sharing personal and sensitive details.

Don’t give out your address, phone number, email, names of family members, work history, birth date, or any government ID numbers. It makes you an easy target for identity scams. People can easily hack and access your email to steal information.

2. Only use trusted online dating sites.

Most reputable online dating sites have established protocols for dealing with fake profiles. In other words, there’s less possibility of running into a scammer.

3. Always cross-check and verify.

A little online stalking session won’t hurt. In fact, it could save you from getting victimized. Try to input her name in search engines and read online information about her. Check if her backstory coincides with what you’ve read online.

4. Take things slowly.

It’s not wise to rush a relationship, especially if it’s an online long-distance relationship where you’ve never met each other in the flesh yet.

Fully getting to know each other takes time. If it feels like she’s trying to rush things with you, it’s not a good sign.

5. Ask for advice from close friends or family.

Share your experience with a close friend or family member that you trust. Ask them for their insights. Sometimes, love can blind us, which is why it’s important to get a third or fourth opinion.

6. Meet in real life.

Quickly and efficiently verify that she’s real by flying to Barranquilla to meet her in person. If she doesn’t show up to see you, she’s probably not real. Look on the bright side, you can spend the rest of your time exploring the city (and meeting more women!).

7. Never send money.

This is especially important if you haven’t met her in real life yet. Chances are, you’ll never get it back. Save your wallet and say no. Set boundaries for yourself when dating online.

To reiterate, not every woman in Barranquilla you’ll meet online is out to scam you.

There are good women out there too. You only need to use good judgment and common sense in all your online dealings and interactions. Surely, you’ll find a good and respectable Colombian woman.

Put Your Heart on the Line

If you’re looking for a safer alternative when meeting and dating Colombian women, why not register on a site that offers professional matchmaking services?

International matchmaking sites are known to screen and verify women’s identities so that there’s less likelihood of getting scammed in the process. Plus, you’ll have the assistance of a professional in finding you a suitable match.

You just have to explore these sites, do your research, and be wary of potential romance scammers. Having the right mindset and attitude can be the key to finding the right woman for you.

Treat the whole experience as an adventure. You can either learn from it, have fun, or potentially meet the love of your life.