Plenty of Phish? How to Avoid being scammed on Online Dating sites or Instagram

In today’s online dating climate it’s hard to know if the guy you are chatting with is legit or just fake news.

So many Ugandan Princes or US Military Generals to choose from…so little time. Or maybe the guy of your dreams is a just a bot.

So what kind of fish have you actually landed in that dating pool?

A Great White hunter or a harmless hawt lil' Guppy?

How’s a girl to know for sure?

Well, this recently happened to me. Because I’m in digital media I am overly suspect of everyone and everything but this sexy phisherman had me actually bite for a couple of days…simply because the idea of him was worth entertaining

…and YAASSS I liked looking at his expert photoshopped pics and fake videos of whatever this gorgeous hunk of man-cake that model was putting out there.

Damnnnnnn girl…..he was HAWTTER than a California/Ghost Reeper.

And as a writer, I can actually have an entire illusionary-based relationship (including off the charts sex with a complete mental fabrication) anytime I want. If it doesn't work out...worst case scenario it's likely a great story in the making...so no matter what happens, I consider it a win win.

So, along came the sex-god Ray Ferdinand to my Instagram work account PM. And, he was (and still is) a 'rare find'.

As my mother would perhaps say, “Great genetic stock!”

Did my spidey senses go off the charts when I was approached by this hulking, plaid-wearing, modelesque, Sex-Devil who puts Jason Mimoa to shame…

Of course!

Did I hope with every fiber of my being that I could go to the Cactus Club with Fake Ray as my arm candy and bump into my jerk of an ex boyfriend?

Also, of course.

So, this little voice in the back of my mind said, “What if…?”

It was not as loud as the other little voice that jumped up and down and screamed, “What if this fraudster takes all your money for Bitcoin?”

But, I decided to play along and see how far Fake Ray Ferdinand would go to land his phish.

Aka Me.

And, as it turns out....he was willing to go pretty far!

Now, always one to give credit where credit is due...I have to hand it to our boy Ray here. He was smooth, sweet, patient and the "perfect" man. Which had me instantly suspicious.

So, how did I catch the Phish who was phishing me and call him out?

Read on to find out!

6 Telltale Signs that Someone You just met Online is a Complete Fake:

1. Love bombing within 2 days. Look, as flattering as being showered with praise by a sexy body building lumberjack can be…as Judge Judy always says, “If it doesn’t make sense, then it isn’t true.” In my case, Ray told me he loved me and wanted to fly me to see him within 48 hours. Ya right.

Red Flag.

2. Their story just doesn’t add up. Literally. If you are a trusting or empathetic person it’s natural to WANT to believe someone’s story and empathize. That’s their hook. (Trust me, I’m in marketing). In this case Ray made a classic error. He told me his ex girlfriend of 6 years slept with his best friend and he won their 12 year old son in the custody case. Ummmm…..math is a bit off there Big Daddy. Just saying. Also, when I asked him the question directly, he evaded the answer. Sorry Fake Ray. Math just doesn't lie.

Red flag.

3. The scammer does not spell or conjugate English effectively. Ray Ferdinand was attempting to be an American gym owner with familial roots in Italy and England. But, since I have actually been to England, I noticed that he did not use any of their expressions or understand any Pommie idiomatic jokes that my mates would normally use daily. I was also an ESL teacher for 20 years...so I can instantly spot a non-Native English speaker 30 miles away.

Red Flag.

4. He’s too damn hawt to be true. Sorry girls, but I don’t think I have a low self-worth or esteem issue and still I know when a guy is outta my league. Why would a 42 year old body-builder/stunner want a 48 year old with kids and dogs in physical progress? Well, he likely wouldn’t. Could he? Sure. Is it likely when you look at the odds with a search engine. Ummm….Nope. Pretty low odds that my charming personality made Ray the Gym Stallion fall head over heels with little ole me in 48 hours.

Red Flag.

5. Run a free Pim Eyes Check on Mr. Wonderful. This is where Ray dismally failed. The fantastic www.pimeyes.com site is a single lady’s best friend. You can run a photo for free and this site cross checks all the dating apps and websites in the world to search for original websites and the source of the photo upload. Hundreds of photos of my sweet Ray appeared instantly. I did not need to pay the $21.28 US to find the source, but if you want to report someone to the FBI or police I recommend it. Or, in the case that you actually did lose money from one of these scams. Ray lit up the app like the northern lights. Sigh.

Red Flag.

6. Your friend sees him on her POF dating App. And he's a different age and has a different name. Oops. Stock photo.

Stop Sign.

So, I air-kissed my sweet, sexy Ray Ferdinand goodbye. Then blocked and deleted him. But, not before thanking him for my latest blog idea to help all the single ladies out there avoid scams just like this one!

All joking aside, thousands of innocent people are scammed by phisherman like my Fake Ray every day. I hope this helps at least one person avoid the pain and heartache that comes along with being a victim from predators like this. Keep it real out there people!

Photo credits will happily be given when the owner of them sees this.