Online Dating Red Flags: Signs That Show Everything Goes Wrong

Emily Maher

Last updated: March 10, 2022

6 minutes read

The online dating experience can be great, but sometimes, we just prefer to ignore the dating red flags (especially when we really like someone), and it doesn’t end well. How to protect yourself from disappointments? In this guide, we discuss all the online dating warning signs—read it carefully if you don’t want to waste your time on someone who’s not worth it. 

Red flags in a woman’s dating profile

There are some dating red flags that you can notice immediately without even sending a person a single message. Yes, you guessed it right—they are in your match’s dating profile. 

• Low-effort profile. Obviously, if someone is interested in finding a great match, they’ll spend some time providing more detailed information in their profile, creating a catchy headline, describing things they are looking for, etc. A woman with a low-effort profile isn’t really interested in a relationship or may have other goals, not always good ones. 
• Low-quality, unclear pictures. Blurred selfies, group shots only, and stolen photos (we recommend using Google search by image to make sure photos are real) are definitely the red sign. This person is hiding something, which is no good. 
• The long list of don’ts. Sometimes you see the profile with a long list of don’ts for men. Women often write something “I’m not into …” and add a hundred things to the list. Ask yourself if you can really enjoy dating such a demanding girl. What’s the chance that something will go wrong? 

So, some dating red flags for guys can be found right in someone’s profile. But what if a woman’s account looks great, she has a lot of photos, and seems nice (at least at first)? How to understand that you’re not exaggerating and things really go wrong? 

Online dating red flags: Texting that shows you’ve met a wrong person

We can’t hide our identities—our thoughts, the way we interact with others, our messages show who we are. There are some signs that can show you that you’ve met the wrong person and will help you save a lot of time. 

1. Rudeness, toxic responses, lack of respect. If she writes something like “you think you’re funny but you’re just ridiculous” and then acts as nothing happened and repeats this a lot of times, it’s likely to be emotional abuse. By the way, a 2013 study suggests that emotional abuse could be no less harmful than physical abuse. So why do you need that? 
2. No serious conversations and discussions. At a certain stage, you need to talk about something serious, something that really matters, your values and views. How else will you get close? If a girl doesn’t want to talk about anything more serious than daily stuff, it’s actually a red sign, too, especially if you are looking for a serious relationship. 
3. Jealousy. Contrary to popular belief, jealousy isn’t normal. A 2010 study found that as jealousy in a relationship increased, the relationship quality decreased. If your partner is always suspicious of you, it’s definitely a red flag. 
4. Passive aggression. You always notice this, but you don’t always think it’s a big deal. Actually, it is. If you notice passive aggression, manipulations, and blames, your relationship will hardly be open and healthy. A 2017 study suggested that communication early in a relationship might play a role in future relationship satisfaction, so if everything goes wrong at the beginning, what’s the chance that things will get better in the future?
5. The desire to get close too fast. If a girl says she loves you in a few days after you met, that’s a red flag, too. On top of that, there’s a chance that it’s a scammer who tries to gain your trust at all costs and then get your money. 
6. Request for financial help. Sometimes, it just indicates that you’ve met a scammer. We’ll talk about this in more detail below. 

Red flags in dating are pretty obvious. The thing is, sometimes, we just prefer to ignore them. Generally speaking, if something seems wrong to you, if you don’t feel comfortable, this is a good reason to move forward and start looking for better matches. 

Financial red flags in a relationship

What are red flags in a relationship? Jealousy, negative attitude, toxic thoughts, manipulation, control 24/7, or sudden disappearances are the clear signs that you chose the wrong person. However, there are a few more red flags in dating, especially online dating—the financial ones. 

• Complaints about money. She may not tell you that she wants to get financial support from you, but if she’s always complaining about financial problems, this is a manipulation to make you feel bad and help her by sending money. It’s okay for sugar babies and sugar daddies, but if you don’t have an agreement, it’s no good. 
• Emergency. Here is what you should know about online dating—if someone you’ve never met in person is asking you for money, this person is a scammer. Don’t let doubts, feelings, and her stories about a horrible emergency fool you—this is a rule. 
• If she wants to get your financial details, just don’t contact her ever again. She may use different excuses and schemes, but you shouldn’t share such information under any circumstances. 

Noticing red flags in a relationship is essential, but noticing financial red flags is even more significant. A broken heart hurts, but spending money on nothing doesn’t make you feel better, either. 

Conclusion

Don’t let feelings, hopes, and expectations deceive you and make you think that it’s a temporary problem and that everything will get better over time. You need to care about your mental health, your time, satisfaction, and most importantly, your safety. Online dating can be an enjoyable experience, but it depends on the decisions that you make.

Emily Maher

Editor

Emily Maher is a professional psychologist with 5+ years of experience. She is the editor-in-chief of TopBeautyBrides.net—she is responsible for the design and tone of the publications, reviewing written content, fact-checking, providing suggestions for edits, and making final decisions about which articles and stories to publish.