바카라�Sextortion바카라�: Financial Fraudsters Take to Dating Apps. Here바카라�s How to Avoid Such Dates

While many youngsters are finding their partners through dating apps, scammers are using them to find new victims of financial fraud. Recently, there has been an alarming rise in cyber frauds through dating apps, wherein fraudsters threaten to distribute others바카라� private and sensitive material or other sexual content and ask for money in return. The US Federal Trade Commission (FTC) has named this new mode of financial frauds 바카라�sextortion바카라� and recently issued a warning after complaints from users of some dating sites.  

A recent paper published in the journal, Clinical Practice & Epidemiology in Mental Health in 2020, said that using the strategy of "testing-the-water", scammers ask the victims for small gifts, usually to ensure the continuance of the relationship, such as a webcam. Eventually, they start asking for more expensive gifts and even large sums of money.  

The situation is no different in India. Recently, a 27-year-old entrepreneur from Gurgaon got scammed after registering on a dating app and ended up paying nearly Rs 65 lakh, according to media reports.  

These scams don바카라�t just happen on dating apps, but also on other social media platforms where you get to chat with strangers. Here바카라�s what you should do if you find yourself in trouble and how to avoid such scams in the first place.

Lodge A Complaint Immediately 

Legal experts point out that such frauds are on the rise in India as many people refrained from lodging police complaints in case of such frauds. 바카라�Often there is a mental blockage as people fear if others get to know that the person was on dating apps, then the society will judge them,바카라� says Bivas Chatterjee, cyber law expert and special public prosecutor for cybercrime cases.  

Although dating apps are quite popular and commonly used in other countries, Indians are still to take to it. Plus, complaints of trafficking on dating apps are a deterrent. 바카라�If dating app is considered equivalent to prostitution or trafficking, then the whole set-up will be illegal,바카라� adds Chatterjee.

But one should never refrain from lodging a police complaint.  

Identify The Red Flags At The Beginning Itself 

To start with, it바카라�s important to choose an app carefully. As of now, there is no legal government registration process for such apps, so it might be a little tricky to figure out which apps are authentic and which ones are fake.  

바카라�There is no legal way to do that. But the best way to choose such apps is to check for reviews and feedbacks. For any web-based services, always check the Google reviews and reviews on any other platforms. Do a background check for any apps or websites by checking any sort of details available on web. For apps, always read the app reviews on play store,바카라� says Chatterjee.  

Moreover, fake accounts on dating apps are not unusual and, therefore, users need to be cautious when using them and interacting with strangers. If you meet someone on the app but have no way to figure out their identity, be wary of sharing a lot of personal and financial details. Besides, it may be much more heart-warming to give a gift to someone in person rather than sending online.

It바카라�s easy to become emotional and fall prey to a scam, so make some ground rules for yourself before signing up for any dating app.