News

6 tips to follow when finding love on the interent

Posted on 09/15/2011
3 Comments

Scamming is a serious and growing issue for social sites and MatchMate has implemented sophisticated systems to block scammers, however there are still times when they will sneak through our net and it is up to you to take care.

If you are suspicious a member maybe trying to scam you then report them using the report member link in their profile.

1. Never Send Money

It is extremely difficult to verify the authenticity of a person on the internet, or that their story is real - even if they have 'proof'. So we advise you never send money or gifts. We have had several reports of members sending money and then never hearing from the person again.

2. Webcam Scammers

You may get propositioned to view a member on their webcam by visiting another internet webcam site which will charge you money. Never pay for this, as it is a simple scam and you will certainly never see the member's real webcam. MatchMate does not offer webcam services.

3. Love is Blind

Sometimes it is necessary to take a step back and get perspective. Members are not always honest with their photos, or what they say about themselves. We advise you talk on the phone (hide your number), and meet face to face in a public place so you know who you are really communicating with.

4. Stay on MatchMate and Stay Anonymous

We advise you stay communicating on MatchMate until you are 100% confident that the member you are talking to is genuine. By giving a member your email address, Facebook details, or any other contact details, they can potentially find a lot of other information about you.

5. Never Spend Money

MatchMate is 100% free - we will never ask you to spend money on any service. If you are being asked to spend money for an 'MatchMate' branded service of any kind then you are being scammed by a third party. However we have Verified Member badge which just to take one more step to verify our member identity.

6. Other Scams

You should also stay alert for other scams including premium SMS scams, any kind of commercial activity, sales scheme, or anything else you find suspicious.

Want to learn more?

You can find a lot more information about scams at SCAMWatch.

SCAMwatch is a website owned and maintained by the Australian Competition and Consumer Commission and provides a wealth of useful information on this topic.