Be mindful of dating sites as they have become a hub for criminals
The number of dating site users is booming, however there are many who wrongfully seek money and not love on these networks.
Although there are many happily married couples who met online, there are also lawbreakers who are after money on dating websites.
Marsha Mikoni of Rant-en-Dal joined a dating site early in 2016, hoping to meet and connect with a potential romantic partner, and at first she was convinced she had met ‘the one’.
“I am glad that I never agreed to meet with him in person, even though he really seemed genuine, kind and different,” said the 29-year-old woman.
The two of them immediately hit it off and started chatting on the site several days a week, then every day, and before she knew it, they were ‘inboxing’ each other at least twice a day. This is when they exchanged cellphone numbers and started calling and texting each other.
After three months of calling and texting, the man – who had told Marsha his name was John – told her he had been involved in a car accident and that his vehicle needed repairing, and he needed cash. She then allegedly transferred R1 000 to his bank account as he promised her he would pay her back on his payday.
John also often asked for petrol money and would come up with excuses when he had to pay it back. The last trick John pulled was when he asked for R15 000 for his ‘mother’ who allegedly had breast cancer. Marsha did not have the money and after she told him she was unable to help him, she never heard from him again.
She tried many times to reach him, both on his cellphone and online, but he had changed his number and left the dating site. Marsha tried to find him to claim the money he never paid back, but the name she knew him by apparently never existed – there was no trace of ‘John’.
“I could not go to the police because I actually knew nothing about this man. There wasn’t even any evidence of his existence at Home Affairs,” said the heartbroken Marsha.
Noordheuwel-based relationship and pastoral therapist, Susan Eksteen, said people should be wary of falling victim to online dating scammers. There are many incidents similar to Marsha’s – people who trust easily and lose money or even businesses because they trusted strangers they met on dating sites. Susan advised the public not to give money or personal details to people they hardly know.
“Without the opportunity to look into someone’s eyes, observe their body language, hear their tone of voice, we cannot intuitively sense their feelings,” she said.
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