Cyber love traps abound on dating websites

By Yang Jinghao Source:Global Times Published: 2012-12-12 20:50:04

 

Illustration: Peter C. Espina
Illustration: Peter C. Espina

I couldn't help but laugh at news this week of a woman duped out of 100,000 yuan ($16,024) by a married farmer, who claimed to be the chairman of a listed company. Xiao Fang (pseudonym), who was introduced to con man Jiang Haifeng via dating website baihe.com in 2010, joins a long list of females preyed upon by swindlers posing as wealthy suitors.

I am not hardhearted, but it's unbelievable a postgraduate like Xiao could fall for such a scam. In recent years, fraud cases involving women seduced by con men via dating websites have surged. About the only thing that distinguishes cases from each other is the amount of money fleeced from victims.

Xiao is suing Baihe for 500,000 yuan ($80,150) in compensation, saying the website failed to verify Jiang's true identity.

The irony is that Baihe claims to be China's first matchmaking website that uses real-name registration for members, who allegedly have their identities thoroughly checked. That a person such as Jiang could fool the system shows how easy it is to manipulate.

Xiao's case reminds me of a story I reported last year, whereupon I interviewed a woman named Liu Qing who was deceived by a man purporting to be a senior executive of a powerful State-owned enterprise. The couple met via jiayuan.com, one of the pioneering Chinese dating websites.

Liu suffered a fractured collarbone in a road accident during a trip organized by the man she met through the website. After the car accident, the man refused to pay her medical bills or offer any financial assistance.

When I was working on Liu's story, I registered with jiayuan.com as a single woman and used a random photo of an attractive woman I found online for my profile picture. My membership was immediately approved and I was asked to pay a fee to interact with my suitors. Rather than being a platform to pursue serious relationships, I found the website more of a facilitator for one-night stands.

It's undeniable some people find true love online, but people should realize the risks of cyber dating. Promises of "love" and "eternal happiness" are how dating websites lure members and generate revenue.

Unfortunately, there are no administrative departments that currently regulate or supervise online dating websites, which allows swindlers to thrive.

But it's unfair to solely blame administrators of such websites, as members ought to keep their guard up and remain vigilant. The majority of users of such websites are anxious to marry and have clear and stereotyped standards for their targets: a mature, wealthy single with a successful career. This is why swindlers always adopt this persona when courting their victims.

Many people say the reason they use dating websites to look for a spouse is because they are too busy to meet people in the real world. What strange logic! It's obvious that they see the Internet as a shortcut to finding a soul mate who meets their expectations.

Members of dating websites need to get offline and get a dose of reality to avoid becoming the next victims of seductive cyber love traps.



Posted in: Twocents-Opinion

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