Online dating

Online dating websites and apps have become one of the most common ways for people to meet potential partners.

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They offer convenience and access to a wide pool of people you might never encounter in everyday life. Users can specify interests, preferences, and values and often filter by age, location, or other criteria. Because of this, many people find online platforms helpful for friendship, short-term dating, and long-term relationships.

However, there are inherent risks involved that make it important to use these sites with caution.

A major risk associated with dating websites is fraud and scams. Scammers often create fake profiles and build emotional connections with genuine users to exploit them financially or for personal information. In one common type of romance scam, someone may pretend to fall in love quickly and then ask for money to help with a supposed emergency. Official safety advisories have warned about scams on both dating and matrimonial sites, where users are emotionally manipulated and financially exploited by fraudsters posing as potential partners.