Now that we are embracing a new dating world, where much of our transactions with others in primarily based online, it’s vital that as Black women, we can experience an enjoyable dating life and also feel safe as a result. Our interactions with others are supposed to be enjoyable experiences, especially when it comes to our love lives and our romantic partners. It’s hard to truly get to know the extent of someone’s character online, though you can begin to identify a few important red flags to look out for within this article, and can, therefore, live a more safe and fulfilling life as a result. 

Their profile has very few pictures of themselves  

If a profile has little to no pictures of the person behind the profile, this can indicate a bigger issue at hand. It’s okay to be camera shy, but it’s also a bit of a red flag if the person you're dating online has no pictures at all or hasn't sent you pictures of themselves either. Stay vigilant, and only look for profiles that show a person's face and even other characteristics about their lives as well. 

They work or live in another country

If the person you’re dating online works or lives in another country, it’s important to remain alert as to why they either originally claimed to live near you on their profile, or why they decided to match with you in particular. A lot of online dating scammers are usually after one thing- which is always money or some sort of access to something for their own benefit. 

They try to take the conversation elsewhere 

If the person you’re dating online tries to take the conversation elsewhere and chooses to stay on platforms on social media or messaging apps such as Whatsapp without a budge to actually exchange numbers, chances are that this person has plans to scam. Be very wary of anyone you haven't met that wants to keep the conversation going on another platform. 

Your match confesses their love early within the relationship without you truly knowing them or who they are as a person 

If you're dating match professes his or her love early on within the relationship, without you truly knowing who they are as a result, this can be a huge red flag. Dating scammers often claim their love early and will try to sweet talk you into their “charming” behavior. Words are only a fraction of a person's admiration, and it’s critical that you remain vigilant to people who only try to sway you with words into feeling fond about them. 

They want to meet you but something always comes up 

If your date is always bailing on you, yet is always trying to see you, they are scamming you- even if its just them scamming you out of your time, don’t fall for the petty excuses, and if there’s always some unexpected issue. Usually, scammers are never who they claim to be, and to avoid getting caught, they want to protect their identity at all costs. 

They request money from you 

When a scammer directly requests money from you, this is a sign to run. There are a variety of scenarios a scammer may invent, whether it’s a family emergency, a health issue, or a travel crisis, never give money away to someone you don't know and especially someone you haven't met yet.