7 ways to spot a fake person on a matrimony website

‘Woman duped of money by her ‘Perfect Match’ or ‘Man gets the shock of life after accidentally finding that his ‘ideal soulmate’ is already married’

There is no dearth of such headlines in today’s digital world, where it’s much easier to create a fake online persona than open an FD account. Numerous cases have been registered and most remain unsolved as fraudsters continue duping innocent people looking for life-partners on free matrimonial sites.

“There is nothing like a free lunch”, says Saurabh Goswami, Founder-Director of Ultra Rich Match, when asked about his opinion on fraudulent profiles on online matrimonial sites. “Getting duped by a prospective ‘soulmate’ can leave a bitter scar: financially, mentally and emotionally.”

Finding your better half and getting married should be the most beautiful experience of your lifetime. Here are a few basic security measures one can take to avoid being tricked in this journey.

Stalk like you mean it

Ask for the person’s social media handles, and start looking for plotholes – their first post and it’s recentness, discrepancies in their timeline, how genuine their ‘friends’ seem and so on. If you find any loopholes, ask the person about them, and if they hesitate dump them asap.

Love doesn’t happen in a click

Bollywood movies run on ‘love at first sight’, real life begs to differ. A few pics, texts and calls do not maketh a lovestory. Be aware of people claiming their undying devotion too quickly. The fraudsters strive on playing with emotions. Take time to get to know a person and their family before getting emotionally attached to anyone.

Conversely, don't dilly dally                                                       

If you like a prospect and they seem to check all the boxes of your 'perfect partner' list, take the next step and involve family and friends. A fraudster will try and delay these meetings, especially from his/ her side of family. Insist once, demand the second time. Don't give anyone a third chance, they are clearly not worth your time. 

Don’t mix personal and emotional

Never use the official email ids or those linked to your bank accounts on such platforms. In a few sugar coated conversations, experienced fraudsters can easily find your personal details and may use them to hack your accounts.

Mind over heart

Trust your Guts. Be careful while attending calls or answering texts. Never give away too much information too quickly. If you feel any doubts at all, confront them directly. And never ever ever lend any money to ANYONE. What kind of a person doesn't already have any friends or family to help them through their tough times? 

Dish the Dough

Try and steer clear of ‘free matrimonial services’ if you really are serious about looking for a life partner. Better to register in trusted matrimonial sites and take personalized services. And if you do find someone with whom you’d like to take things ahead, find some common connections or engage an independent verification agency for a background check. Better safe than sorry.

Report

God forbid, even after all the precautions, you do fall prey to a con, it's important that you report them to the website and the police. Your vigilance may save another innocent person from getting duped. 

ALSO READ: Hello Therapist: I always feel the urge to keep a check on my girlfriend’s phone; What should I do?