Love-bombing, what it is and how to recognize it.

Post Reply New Topic

Love-bombing is when someone you barely know begins telling you that they love you, lavishing praise and compliments. It is typically from someone with an attractive profile picture. They want to form a relationship with you, because then your guard will be down, and that is when they start telling you hard-luck stories, always something that involves your sending money or doing some favor for them.

I was reminded of this recently on OKCupid, when I got a message from the Admins. I recall having a brief exchange with a user named Anna. It never went far because her response was "I don't know what you are talking about," and I reread my message, and decided if she could not understand that, she probably wouldn't understand much else I had to say, either. I don't think she was a high-level love-bomber at any rate, maybe just starting out in the profession.

"Hey, Gentleman Argentum,

At OkCupid, we respect and appreciate every member, and work behind the scenes to cultivate a safe and positive experience.

Recently, we discontinued Anna's account due to what appears to be fraudulent* behavior. We are letting you know because you exchanged messages with this member.

As a safety reminder, we strongly advise against sharing personal financial information or sending money to other members via any means. If you receive one of these requests from another member, please report them on the app, site, or directly to us.

For more information, check out our safety tips.

Thanks,
The OkCupid Team

*Fraudulent behavior includes but is not limited to using a false identity or posing a significant risk of attempting to obtain money from other members through deceitful means. "