The Clear Signs Someone Is Lying in Their Online Dating Profile
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Online dating has been on the rise for years, and while it has created endless opportunities to meet romantic partners, these platforms are also home to a lot of liars and exaggerators. The deceptions range from the innocuous, like adding an inch or two to your height, to the totally outrageous, like failing to mention you're married.
Melani Robinson, an online dating expert, told ATTN: over the phone that starting any type of relationship with a lie is not a good thing. Here are a few tips from experts on identifying dating platform fibbers before you ever meet them in person.
1. The photos look too good to be true.
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People will lie about how attractive they are to increase their chances of getting matches. In some cases, they will post older photos of themselves on their dating profiles to depict their ideal version of themselves. For example, if someone is not totally happy with their weight, they may post photos on their profiles from a slimmer time in their life. You can figure out if someone has deceived you in this way by looking at the quality of their photos, online dating expert Damona Hoffman wrote in an email to ATTN:.
"If what you read seems too good to be true, it probably is," Hoffman wrote. "Also look for photos that seem dated and are not crisp, smartphone quality or don't seem to fit with one another. If you have a feeling that something about a person's profile doesn't seem right, you can do a Google image search and see if there are any inconsistencies between what is said and what pops up in the search."
2. A person's photos or credentials don't match up online or on social media platforms.
In addition to appearances, people will sometimes lie about their professions or education levels to impress others. Julie Spira, founder of Cyber-Dating Expert, wrote in an email to ATTN: that many people research their matches on social media to look for inconsistencies of this manner. For example, a person might say she/he attended Harvard University, but if any matches doubt this, they can try to verify his education on the internet or through social media profiles.
"These days most singles will hop over to Facebook and Instagram to see if the photos match up, as well as view Linkedin profiles to see if the jobs listed are accurate," Spira told ATTN:. "So if a profile or photo seems too good to be true, or if someone is standing in front of a fancy car that might not be theirs, take the time to see if the profile and photos check out. If it turns out the bio photo is a stock photo of a model, you’d want to know sooner, rather than later."
3. The photos are taken from a distance.
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Dating expert Melani Robinson, who uses dating apps herself, told ATTN: over the phone that people should especially be wary of photos taken from a distance, as people will post these kind of photos so you can't get a good look at them. It could mean they're hiding their age or appearance from potential matches.
"[P]hotos from a distance where you can't see them would be a warning sign. They'll have old photos where you can see the quality is perhaps not as good. You can also look for the state of hairstyle. You'll see several photos where they look younger and there will be one from a distance of the accurate age and you'll be like, 'Wait a minute, who is the old guy in that picture because he's not the 50-year-old guy [in all the other pictures], he's a 70-year-old guy.'"
4. Their written height doesn't match their photos.
Robinson told ATTN: that men frequently lie about their height on dating platforms because they think women prefer taller men. This can make men say they're taller than they really are.
One way to know a person has lied about their height is if they post a picture next to a celebrity, whose height you can typically find on a Google search. So, if the guy you're communicating with says he is 6'0" but looks tiny in a photo next to a celebrity such as Chris Pratt, who is 6'2," you know the person was dishonest about his height on his profile.
