Thailand Dating Scams: How to Stay Safe Online
Thailand is among the many countries benefiting from dating websites. Thailand dating scams involve scammers located in Thailand disguising themselves behind attractive dating profiles of women and manipulating victims into giving coughing up thousands of dollars. Let’s get into what types of scams you should look out for, how to detect them, and ways you can protect yourself.
Types of Scams to Look Out For
Thailand dating scams can play out in many ways, making identifying whether you are dealing with a scammer more challenging. Here are some common Thailand dating scams you should be aware of.
Marriage scams:
Marriage scams can play out in two ways, but they both consist of women from Thailand pretending to be in love with American men they have met through dating sites. These scammers can hide or reveal their identity through their online dating profiles.
Either way, they will emotionally manipulate their victims into believing they want marriage, but they are just in it for the money. They frequently ask their victims for money for food, gas, entertainment, bills, etc.
Those who choose to reveal their identity will also try to get a green card and leave their victims once in America, and those who choose to hide their identity will never meet up with their victim and instead keep draining their bank accounts.
Sick Relative:
Once a scammer successfully gets their victim to believe they are in a serious relationship, they will claim to have an extremely sick relative. They could claim their brother, sister, mother, or even child is deathly ill and need help with medical bills and other expenses. These criminals will steal authentic images of real bedridden women, men, or children to make the story more believable.
Scammers from Thailand will make catfish social media accounts on platforms like Instagram and Facebook and manipulate victims into sharing sexually explicit images or videos and using that content for blackmail.
They are quick to make sexual advances and promise to share their sexual content, which is fake and stolen from adult websites.
Once a victim gives in, these criminals screenshot their images and screen record their videos. They then threaten to expose it online to their social media platforms, including family members and friends, if their ransom is not paid.
Red Flags to Watch for in Thai Dating Scams
Thankfully, there are red flags that can help you identify scammers and stop them in their tracks before they do real damage. Here are some red flags to look out for.
· Eager to get into a serious relationship without getting to know you more.
· Refusal of meeting in person or via video chatting.
· Requesting money or financial support.
· Request for personal information early in the relationship.
· Poor grammar and spelling messages
· Suspicious images that look different or unclear.
How to Protect Yourself from Thailand Dating Scams
It can be tough to accept and move forward when people realize they are the victim of a dating scam. What do you do now? Who do you call? How do you protect yourself from more harm? Here are some steps to ensure you are protected and get the needed help.
· Document any harassment and threats to prove that you have been scammed.
· Do not send any more money or requests. This will only enable your scammer to continue.
· Report your scammer on the platform where the relationship started and block them on your social media accounts.
· Secure and update your online accounts, especially if you have shared any login credentials with your scammer.
· Contact your bank and credit card company to see if you can get your money back.
Best Practices for Staying Safe while Dating Online in Thailand
The best way to protect yourself from Thailand dating scams is by being cautious of whom you speak to and what information you share on dating sites. Yes, meeting new people online and opening up to connections is fun. However, only some people online have good intentions.
Make sure to verify identities and conduct background checks to ensure they say who they are and that their stories match up. Be cautious with the personal information you share with strangers, especially images and videos of yourself. Stay alert when meeting new people online; there are tons of predators waiting for their next victim.
Report and block any suspicious activity. If someone makes you uncomfortable or acts sketchy, you can end the conversation and move on. The bottom line is that you never really know people’s true intentions, especially someone you have met online.
Summary
Thai dating scams are difficult to deal with and can leave victims emotionally and financially damaged. It’s essential to be aware of potential risks when considering online dating and take precautions accordingly. Research all profiles before confiding any information with a possible match, and report any behavior you think might be suspicious.
Ensure you have a support system if anything goes wrong; seek help from family or friends. Let’s work towards making online dating a safe space for everyone, so don’t hesitate to report any cases of Thai dating scams — doing so will help make online dating a less scary experience. If faced with dating scams, sextortion or blackmail – contact our sextortion helpline 24/7
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