Who Keeps Calling Me? How to Identify an Unknown Number
Missed calls from numbers you don't recognize can be worrying. Here's how to find out who's behind them, safely.
Is Your Online Match Who They Say They Are?
By LifeWell Compass Editorial Team · Published · Updated · 4 min readThis article contains partner links. We may earn a commission at no cost to you. Learn more
How to spot romance scams and catfishing, and how to check someone's story before you get invested.
Dating apps and social media have made meeting people easier than ever. They've also made it easier to pretend to be someone else. A little checking early can save a lot of heartache.
Warning signs
- They're always somewhere far away: overseas, deployed, on an oil rig.
- Things get intense very quickly.
- There's always a reason they can't video chat or meet.
- Their story changes in small ways.
- Sooner or later there's an emergency, and they need money, gift cards or crypto.
How to check them out
Reverse-search their photos. Upload a profile picture to Google Images or TinEye. If it shows up under another name, you have your answer.
Make sure the details match. Does the name, number and city they gave you belong to a real person? A background search can show you in a few minutes.
Get a second opinion. Scammers push for secrecy. Talking it through with a friend is one of the best protections there is.
If you've already sent money
Stop contact, call your bank right away, and report it at ReportFraud.ftc.gov. It happens to smart people all the time, because the people running these scams are professionals.
Dating after 60
More and more people over 60 are finding love online. It's a wonderful way to meet new people, but it pays to be careful.
Meet safely
- Meet in a public place for the first few dates.
- Tell a friend or family member where you're going.
- Arrange your own transportation.
Never send money to someone you haven't met in person.
People-search services are not consumer reporting agencies. Under the FCRA, their results can't be used to decide on employment, housing, credit or insurance.
