Online dating is the future, and it has been for a while now. The internet makes it so easy to find people and date them, so why wouldn’t we make the most of it?
After all, it’s much easier to find someone online, when a few swipes on your phone or clicks on your laptop will bring up a list of eligible ladies. You can arrange dates and interact with ease when you date online, and you don’t have the awkwardness that picking up women in bars often entails.
The only downside of this is that you can’t always trust that the women you talk to are as authentic as they claim. They may have pictures of themselves on their profile, but are they authentic? If so, are they recent? The last thing you want to do is agree to a date with someone, only to discover that their photos are a decade old.
While catfish aren’t always easy to spot, we do have some tips that should help you avoid falling for their tricks.
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Check Their Social Media
Given that nearly all UK adults aged 45 and under are on it, the vast majority of women that you speak to on dating sites are going to have social media. This is useful because it gives you a chance to confirm that what you’ve seen is the real deal. If she doesn’t have socials or her accounts are questionable – maybe she has very few friends or doesn’t post photos that aren’t modelling shots – it’s natural to be suspicious. These could be signs that the person you’re looking to date is hiding something from you.
A reverse image search on her photos could clear up whether she’s a catfish or not. If you get results that link her picture to other profiles, that could be confirmation that you’ve been duped. It’s not a foolproof method, as some women don’t have a robust social media presence, so you should also employ some of the other methods listed here.
Push For Face-To-Face Contact
What’s the point of matching with someone if you’re never going to meet them in person? As soon as you’ve got a feel for whether you like a woman or not, it’s perfectly reasonable to ask for a proper date. If they say no, ask if she wants to do a video call instead. If the answer is again no, you might want to question what it is they’re hiding.
While you shouldn’t force anyone into doing something they’re not comfortable with, if they refuse to show their face, you should be wary. It’s likely that they’re catfishing you and don’t want to meet up because they know the truth will come out. They might also be nervous, so give them a little time to make a decision, but if they really dig their heels in, then move on and find someone more willing to make your relationship work.
Consider Hiring An Escort
If you’ve got the money to spare and want to date the woman of your dreams, why not look to escorting? It may not be the same experience as matching with someone online, but you can trust that what you see is what you get. There’s no fear here that when you set up a date with a busty blonde, what you actually get is a tiny brunette.
Whatever kind of date you’re in the mood for, you can find a beautiful woman to keep you company through this service by Adult Seek. Their escort directory is filled with stunning ladies from across the UK whose only interest is giving you the perfect date. If sparks fly, there’s nothing stopping you from booking a second date, and a third, and so on.
Only Give As Much As You Get
It would help if you always were careful when it comes to sharing information about yourself online, in every aspect of your online activities. That goes double when you’re talking to someone on a dating site. Just because a woman is attractive and says all the right stuff to get you going, that doesn’t mean you can suddenly trust them with private information.
The smartest tactic here is never to share more than what they share with you. Catfish tend to ask a lot of questions without returning the favour, so if they want to know your life story yet refuse to tell you theirs, take a step back. Be sure to ask them plenty of questions – don’t be creepy about it, though – and if they don’t budge, get yourself out of there.
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Let Things Progress Slowly
When you spend an entire evening talking to a woman that you’ve matched with online, it can feel like you’ve found someone special. Don’t get carried away, though, especially if she starts declaring her love for you almost immediately.
This is a clear warning sign that she’s not who she claims to be because very few women would ever consider being so forward after a few conversations. On average, women take over 4 months to say the “L” word, so if those words crop up after a few days, don’t trust them. Don’t even think about saying them back either, even if you’re just trying to play along with her. Cool things right down and search for someone else to talk to who isn’t taking things too quickly.
Catfish are always going to be a problem when online dating, no matter what lengths sites claim they’ll go to so they can get rid of them. While you can’t make yourself invisible to these people, you can take the right precautions to stop yourself from getting caught in their web of lies. Use this list of tips to reduce your chances of being duped. Even if you are duped, if you’re sensible and look out for the signs then you can reduce your chances of wasting a lot of time on someone who isn’t worth it.
