How to spot red flags & stay motivated: the third installment in a series about online dating 

By: Adrian Drower, Ask Adrian Blogger and No Boundaries Participant

Courtesy of pixabay.com

Safety is a big thing these days, especially online. Does that mean we need to wave the white flag and surrender? Guess again! No, it does not. All it means is that we need to pay a little more attention.

When it comes to online dating, there is another kind of flag that is important to know: red flag (cue the scary music)! Red flags could indicate that certain profiles are fake. This can mean either they belong to robots or people who want to take advantage of you for whatever reason, so you want to avoid them.

The following are suggestions as to what to look for:

• The person only has one photo on their profile page and/or only their name, age and location are filled out on the profile.
• They use power words, highlight, or emphasize words – For example if someone says that they are royalty.
• They don’t have an online or a social media presence. Run your own background checks to see.
• Profiles or messages are way too forward or flirty.  Make sure you know that you both have the same relationship goal in mind.
• 

  Courtesy of pixabay.com

  They are using only headshots, pictures with white backgrounds, stock photos, or are using a photo of someone you may know, like a celebrity.

• They request your personal information and/or ask for money.
• They change their stories about themselves and/or mix up their information when you communicate with them.
• They seem too perfect.
• They use generic messages (messages meant for anyone) or non-sensical messages (messages that don’t make sense).

With all these red flags, it’s easy to get discouraged. The following are tips to stay motivated:

HOW TO STAY MOTIVATED WHILE ONLINE DATING

• It’s alright to take a break from the site; you don’t always have to be on the site.
• Don’t pin all your hopes on one person; if you don’t click after you’ve connected, then move on.
• You don’t have to keep talking to someone if it’s not fun anymore.
• Be patient, you will eventually find someone; these things take time.
• Learn from your previous experiences.