Too Good to be True?: Police give tips on online dating ahead of Valentine’s Day

SALISBURY, Md. – It is the season of love and plenty of people are looking for that special someone ahead of Valentine’s Day.

But dating during a pandemic can be a challenge when you’re social distancing and staying inside of your own bubble, so many people are turning to online dating. But when you do that, you want to make sure you’re staying safe.

Police tell us there are some warning signs you can look out for when you’re meeting your next Valentine over the Internet.

“The biggest red flag is when they’re asking for money,” Lieutenant Tim Robinson with the Wicomico County Sheriff’s Office said. “The other big red flag is if something doesn’t match up, where they say they’re American and they live in this country, and they’re obviously sound like they’re from a foreign country, that’s normally when we’ve been investigating and when it’s been a scam.”

Lt. Robinson says his general rule of thumb is this: if something seems too good to be true, it probably is. He says if you think you may be talking to someone who isn’t who they say they are, talk to a trusted friend or family member for advice. If you do need help, though, he says you can always reach out to police.