If you do any kind of chatting or socializing online, you should be aware of some of the internet dating scams out there. The scams are terrible. Most of the time the victim ends up losing his or her hard-earned money. Oftentimes the victim is left with a bruised ego at best, a broken heart at worst. It typically begins when a woman or a man starts communicating with someone they found or met on an internet dating site.

Most of the time, they communicate back and forth long enough for the victim to develop some sort of feelings for the scammer. But at some point, the scammer will start talking about how they've hit on hard times. This is the direction that most internet dating scams go. They will usually make up some story about how they or a family member needs an expensive operation, or they might say that they won't be on the internet much longer because they can't afford the bills. Having grown to trust and care for the scammer, the victim usually does whatever they can do to help.

This usually involves sending money to the scammer, most often through Western Union or some other wire transfer system. The victim thinks that they are doing something good for their friend, but most of the time after they have sent the money, they never hear back from the scammer. Sometimes the scammer will send a letter or two of thanks, perhaps, but more often than not the victim won't even see this much. It's a disgusting and pathetic form of deceit, but people engage in internet dating scams because it profits them. If you utilize internet dating services, be aware and watch for 'friends' asking for money, or hinting that they need help. The best thing is to simply never send money to anyone you haven't met. Don't become a victim.