Since the Netflix documentaries “Bad Vegan” and “The Tinder Swindler” captured the attention of streaming audiences, there’s been a lot of talk about online romance scams — and lots of questions about how to avoid being swindled while meeting people online.
The docuseries “Bad Vegan” follows former celebrity restaurateur Sarma Melngailis’ fall from grace after she got involved with Anthony Strangis, a man she met on Twitter and later married. Strangis allegedly told his wife that if she passed a series of tests, which included transferring large sums of money from the restaurant to him, he could make her beloved pit bull live forever — among other outlandish promises.
“The Tinder Swindler” tells the story of the con artist Shimon Hayut, known as Simon Leviev, who allegedly used Tinder to meet the women he would go on to defraud out of millions of dollars. Posing as the son of a wealthy diamond magnate, Hayut wooed his targets with high-end dates before convincing them to loan him money, claiming he was in danger and unable to use his own credit cards for “security reasons.” He has since been banned from Tinder and several other dating apps and sites.
If these documentaries have made you wary about the people you encounter when looking for love online, read on. Below, experts explain what red flags to look out for and what to do if you match with someone who seems suspicious.
1. Their story is full of inconsistencies.
When the information someone…
