How to connect with fit single men you meet on the street, according to love expert
IN a world full of catfish, ghosters and keyboard warriors, online dating can be difficult.
In fact, millions of women are turning their backs on dating apps in the hope that Mr Right might be sitting at the fruit and vegetable aisle in Tesco or outside their local pub.
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Women want to meet men in person so they know what Mr. Maybe really looks and acts like before setting up a good first date.
It’s why blind dating events are seeing a resurgence and young singles are looking for partners in supermarkets by using fruit in their shopping carts to signal their availability.
But according to some dating experts, technology can still play a helping hand in meeting The One.
One app that bridges the gap between technology and true romance is Happn.
It’s a location-based dating app that allows users to find people they’ve encountered – literally – in real life.
Anyone who has downloaded the app digitally gets to know fellow Happn users he or she has been close to.
Have you seen a cutie in the pub? Happn will ping it to your feed.
Have you walked past a hottie on the street but didn’t have the balls to stop and ask for his number? If he’s on Happn, you can message him.
“We want to make this easier for singles by giving them all kinds of ways to meet potential crushes,” Claire Renier, dating expert at Happn, tells Fabulous.
“People can always connect based on location if they’ve crossed paths in real life, and they can also connect because they have a shared love for the same hobbies.
“For example, we recently launched a new exclusive feature, CrushPoints For All, which allows daters to add their favorite places to their profile.
“This means they can find people who like the same bars, restaurants or clubs as they do.
“This could make women in particular feel more comfortable taking the first step and messaging a man on Happn first.
“They know there is a mutual interest, they come from the same area and probably have mutual friends or acquaintances.
“This also helps reassure them about the person’s identity.”
Claire adds that she firmly believes that “real life encounters are the essence of every human connection.”
“By allowing individuals to discover each other within the context of their local environment, we hope they can take back control of their lives and seize opportunities in their environment,” she says.
5 Warning Signs You’re Dating a Catfish
New data has revealed that 40 percent of us know someone who has been catfished, while 22 percent have been catfished ourselves.
April Davis, founder and president of LUMA Luxury Matchmakinghas shared five key ways to catch a catfish.
1. You can’t find them online
Almost everyone has a social media presence, especially those who are willing to try dating apps. So if you can’t find them anywhere online, such as on a Facebook, Instagram or even LinkedIn account, this could be a big red flag.
April says: “If you’re suspicious, ask to add them on Facebook or Instagram. If they decline or if the account they send you looks new, that’s a red flag.”
2. Conversations quickly became personal
Catfish are known for ‘love-bombing’, a form of emotional manipulation.
So if the person you’re talking to immediately goes over the top with compliments, wants to communicate all the time, and makes statements like “I love you” within a few days of speaking, that’s a big red flag.
3. They don’t open
If someone asks a lot of questions about you but isn’t willing to give much in return, this could be a red flag.
This is because these scammers are obviously not who they say they are and it can be difficult for them to keep their lies straight.
As a result, most catfish would rather not give out any personal information at all if they can help it.
4. They ask for money
Asking for money, regardless of the reason, is a huge red flag.
Whether they want a wire transfer or your credit card number, catfish have a wide variety of sob stories to tell when it’s time to cheat you out of your money.
5. They don’t show their faces
It’s not surprising that someone who doesn’t want to show who they are in a video call or real-time photos can be a catfish.
The last thing a catfish wants is for you to see its real face, as it usually steals someone else’s photos to use.
This means they will likely refuse to send photos or make video calls.
