Beware of Online Dating Fakers

Feb. 12, 2006 — -- Valentine's Day is Tuesday, and people may be looking for the perfect date on the computer screen, but dating in cyberspace does have its pitfalls. Sometimes people bend the truth about themselves.

Cynthia Amaro, 35, is a fashion executive and devoted online dater. She has run in to her share of fakers.

"I had all these men at my disposal, and so many to choose from, and that's where it started to get a little tricky," she said.

On a date with "Andrew" she realized that he was misleading her with an old photo.

"How old is that photo?" she asked him.

"About 15 years," he said. "And we're here now, and I probably don't look like Fabio?"

"He looked nothing like his photograph," Amaro said. "His hair was five inches longer and he looked like he just got back from the original Woodstock. I was frustrated. How is this happening to me again?"

Some 50 million Americans have pursued romance online, and online dating is now a $500 million industry. But it is not difficult to invent a more attractive identity. According to a Truedater.com survey, people most often embellish their physical appearance and lie about their age and marital status.

Experienced daters say you have to learn to read between the lines.

"I think Rubenesque means a little overweight," said Doug Senderoff, an online dater. "And voluptuous, I would put in the same category. Slim and slender -- even that can be suspicious, at times."

"It's very much like shopping: You want to put yourself in the best package because someone can just go on to the next person," said Jillian Straus author of "Unhooked Generation."