How to spot a fake date: the 6 things you need to know

If he looks to good to be true… then he's probably is. Here's how to tell fakers apart from the real keepers.

Check their photo in Google Images before meeting up. Does it come up with somebody else’s name, age and/or location? Ask conversational questions that require local knowledge to answer them, like knowledge of local bars and restaurants, sports teams, local issues. If someone has a story for why they can’t answer (for instance, working overseas) then beware! If you are connected on Facebook, check out their friends list – do their friends appear to be genuine accounts, do they tag each other in photos, do they check in to local places, do they interact with each other?

If you get a sense that someone is not writing or speaking in their mother tongue, they may be based overseas and pretending to be someone they’re not. Note that a UK mobile number does not mean they are located in the UK, either. Scammers can get hold of UK sims, or get a UK number on WhatsApp. 070 numbers are not mobile numbers, they are premium rate re-directable numbers and should be a red flag.