5 Online Dating Red Flags You Shouldn't Ignore

Online dating has gone from something that was scoffed at a few years ago, to a ubiquitous technology that is as mainstream as ordering pizza. There are dating sites that cater to certain niche audiences such as the infamous farmersonly.com and of course there are still the large established mega sites such as match.com, eharmony, and others.
Love it or hate it, online dating appears to have staying power and will likely be with us for quite a while.
We’ve already talked about some tips for having a safer online dating experience in our article: Online Dating Safety and Security Tips.
In this article, we’re going to focus on online dating red flags you shouldn’t ignore in your quest for the perfect date.
Not Everyone is Really Looking For Love
Unfortunately, there are a lot of scammers out there. They take advantage of folks who are looking for love and will try to lure them away from dating sites and over to phishing sites and other nefarious enterprises. Scammers will employ technologies such as bots to do their dirty work and will make it difficult to tell the real folks from the fake ones.
Here Are Some Red Flags You Shouldn't Ignore When You're Looking For Love Online:
Red Flag #1 - They Don’t Really Answer Your Questions Directly
A lot of scammers will use bots, (programs that mimic human interactions) to try and con users into visiting sites or performing some action that scammers want their victim to perform (such as divulging personal information.
The problem is, bots are stupid. They don't interact well (except for maybe some of the more robust "chatterbots").
When you ask a bot a question, it's most likely not going to give you a straight answer. It may look at keywords in your responses and try to message you something relevant, but it still won't be a direct answer. If it seems like the person you're talking to isn't answering your questions directly, try to ask them (or it) something very specific to see if it comes back with another generic response.
This will help you determine if you're dealing with a bot or a scammer who just doesn't really want to put in the effort required to carry on a normal conversation.
Check out these 5 Signs Your Online Love Interest Might be a Scam Bot
Red Flag #2 - They Want to Move You Off The Dating Site As Soon As Possible
A scammer's goal is to get you off the dating site and onto their site so they can take whatever it is that they want from you, whether it be your credit card information, your personal information, or something else. Expect them to attempt to direct you to a website, phone number, or e-mail address of their choosing. They will usually try to do this in the first 5 or so messages.
They may waste a little time trying to build a rapport with you, but eventually they will show their true colors and try to close the deal by enticing you to click a link or contact them offsite. This is not to say that everyone who tries to give you their phone number right off the bat is a scammer, but it is a red flag nonetheless, and should put you on alert to look for other signs of danger.
Red Flag #3 - They Want to Know Your Location
Whether they are a scammer or just some weirdo, they shouldn't be asking for your address up front. This could be part of a phishing scam or something much worse. Until you've really gotten to know someone, you should never give out your location. When you agree to meet, neutral public locations with a lot of people are probably best for meeting someone new. Always tell a friend what your plans are and if they change.
Red Flag #4 - They Get Too Personal Too Fast
If they start asking a lot of deeply personal questions that seem out of context, they could be attempting to phish you for personal information that they could use for identity theft purposes. Don't give out your birthdate to strangers. It's one of the critical pieces of information they might need to set up an account in your name.
Red Flag #5 - Their Profile Looks a Little Thin or Generic
If the dating profile is weak and has very little info other than generic statement like the cliche "I love to laught" then it might be a red flag that they may just be using canned cut-and-paste scam profile information. Check out these tips on How to Spot a Fake Friend Request, many of the same tips apply in this situation.

5 Ways to Make Your PC a Less Attractive Hacker Target

Hackers seem to be everywhere these days, on the news, in the movies. You can’t turn around without seeing a news story about a major data breach or massive hacking attack that took down a huge company’s online operations.

You just want to be left alone to play your PC games, browse Facebook, the basics. You don’t want to become a target and/or victim of a hacker. So the question is, what can you do

to make your computer a less attractive target to a hacker.

Here Are 5 Ways You Can Make Your PC a Less Attractive Hacker Target:

1. Enable “Stealth Mode” on Your Router’s Firewall

Some routers feature a mode called “stealth mode” where the firewall on the router does not respond in the traditional manner when a port scan is run against it. If your router offers this feature you should consider turning it on to make your network (and the devices behind it) less conspicuous to hackers attempting to probe your network.

2. Use a Personal VPN Service

Virtual Private Networks (VPNs), once the domain of the privileged few who could afford to use them, are now available to the common man. You can purchase personal VPN service on a monthly basis for little more than the price of a decent cup of coffee.

VPNs offer a plethora of security features such as encryption of all network traffic, anonymous browsing via proxied IP addresses, as well as some great features that take advantage of the ability

to choose an IP address from your home country when you are traveling abroad. For an in-depth look at the other benefits offered by personal VPN services, check out our article: Why You Need a Personal VPN.

3. Encrypt Your Wireless Network

Not seeing a padlock icon next to a network name when a hacker is scanning for available Wi-Fi networks is a huge turn-on for them. This tips them off to the fact that there is essentially free Wi-Fi available because there is no password required to access networks that don’t have encryption turned on (hence, the lack of a padlock icon).

If you don’t have wireless encryption turned on, you are basically advertising to hackers and neighbors that your bandwidth is freely available for the taking. If hackers happen to use the free Internet that you are graciously providing them to carry out hacking and other crimes, guess who it will be traced back to? That’s right, YOU. You can plead ignorance but there is no guarantee that it will be an acceptable excuse.

Lock down your Wi-Fi with WPA2 (or better) encryption with a strong password to avoid being an unwitting accomplice to a hacker’s misdeeds

4. Make Sure Security Patches Are Installed And Up to Date

Hackers love to see a system with unpatched vulnerabilities that they can exploit, gain entry to, and take control of. You need to make sure you're using the automatic update feature of your operating system so that as soon as a security patch is released it will be pushed to your PC. You should periodically do a manual check as well to ensure that the auto-update process is working as it should be.

Check for updates of your Internet-connected apps (web browsers, plug-ins, etc) on a frequent basis as well and turn on their “check for updates” feature (if available). Don’t forget to check for updated wireless router firmware, as your router manufacturer might have updates waiting in the wings as well.

5. Educate Yourself and Hack-proof Your Brain

When it comes to your PC’s security, you don’t want to be the weakest link. You definitely don’t want to get tricked into installing malware or fall for some other scam that puts your PC and your personal data at risk.