I’ve talked to lots of women over 60 and almost always the biggest fear they share with me is the thought of being alone forever.

In their mind, they’re not sure a man will want them at this age so when a good-looking man starts paying attention to them online, they feel special, desired and wanted.

People who push online dating scams know this is your fear and that’s how they prey on you and hook you into their schemes. A scammer knows it’s probably been a while since a man paid so much attention to you so he spends time chatting with you for hours every day.

This makes you feel like you have someone in your corner who cares and is there for you.

How Online Dating Scams Work: They Look for Your Weak Spots

But beware… what he’s really doing is looking for your weak spots during those calls. He’s trying to figure out where you’ve experienced the most pain in your life. If you’ve lost a close member of your family, don’t be surprised if he tells you he has too. He uses these holes in your heart to get you to trust him, knowing it will be easy for you to bond with someone who has experienced the same loss as you.

As you’re bonding, he’s telling you things like, I love you baby, I can’t wait to see you baby. He is priming you and getting ready to rein you in for the scam. Then one day he shares news with you about a huge business deal he’s about to close and once its done, he’ll come see you.

They Ask for Your Help

Here’s the kicker and the part where the red flags should be going up. He’s going to tell you that he just needs a little more money to finish the deal or he’ll lose everything. He may even tell you that family members have invested as well but the bank won’t be able to give him the last bit he needs, which means he’s going to lose the deal and all the money he and his family have invested.

This is when he asks you for your help. He’s done the work needed to capture your heart. You’re in love with him and you don’t want to see him suffer. You want to help him so you wire the money he needs to his bank account. And you never hear from him again.

How to Protect Yourself from Online Dating Scams

Thousands of intelligent women get caught up in these scams every year. Here’s what you can do to protect yourself and keep your dating journey safe. Date men closer to home. Keep emails short and sweet and at a maximum of 5-10 each at the most. Spend no more than a couple of hours on one or two phone calls maximum. Meet a man within two to three weeks of your initial contact with each other.

If a man tells you he’ll be out of the country for a month or two, tell him to give you a call when he gets back. Upload his profile picture to Google Images. You’ll be able to see if the image matches who he says he is or if he’s stolen his picture from someone else.

Use these tips with every man you meet online. They can keep you safe and will give you confidence in the decisions you’re making about the men you want to spend time with.

Have you ever been approached or tricked by an online scammer? Do you have any tips to share with women in our community? How do you manage communication in the online dating world? Please share with the community.