Sara: Great topic! Scammers are everywhere on the internet, so it's good of you to remind the community.
I've been here five years, so here are some telltale signs I've noticed.
How to identify a scammer:
If someone is an “American military officer / doctor / spy” on a “top secret” mission — they just might be a scammer.
If someone is the “deposed king” of a random country on the other side of the planet — they just might be a scammer.
If someone “saw your profile and fell in love with you” — they just might be a scammer.
If someone is a “native English speaker” who offers to help you for free in exchange for nothing, or in exchange for a less popular language — they just might be a scammer.
Welcome to the internet :) The list goes on and on….
Hi Phil, great tips!
I am a native English speaker who is currently learning Spanish. I joined this recently because I saw an ad on YouTube. I offer help to people trying to learn English as I am trying to improve my Spanish as well. I do this for free, and it certainly doesn't mean that I am a "scammer". I am simply offering my help to those who need it and can't afford to pay $15 /hour for expensive lessons.
Learning a language shouldn't have to cost a ton of money. And when you pay for a lesson, you don't necessarily meet friends and learn about different cultures, do you?
I would much rather get the best of both worlds- language learning while meeting people from all over the world.
There are some good people in this world who just sincerely want to learn, help others and meet new people .
Best wishes to you :)
https://www.italki.com/discussion/202712
