Julie Spira Reveals 9 Red Flags in Online Dating Singles Should Know

Digital Matchmaker® Julie Spira identifies nine types of daters, from the Hot-and-Cold Texter to the Sob Story Scammer, during Cybersecurity Awareness Month.

LOS ANGELES, CA, UNITED STATES, October 6, 2026 /EINPresswire.com/ -- Online dating often leads to lasting love, but knowing when to swipe left can be just as important as knowing when to engage with a match.

In recognition of Cybersecurity Awareness Month, online dating expert Julie Spira, an advocate for online dating safety, is spotlighting nine red flags singles should recognize on dating apps.

Spira, a certified dating and relationship coach and author of the bestseller "The Perils of Cyber-Dating," has published a new article and infographic, 9 Red Flags in Online Dating Every Single Should Know. Spira describes nine types of daters to watch for, from the match who barely fills out a profile to the love bomber, the catfisher, and the romance scammer.

"Most red flags show up early if you know what to look for," says Spira. "It could be a blank profile, a match who texts every morning and then goes silent, or someone who says 'I love you' before your first coffee date."

Spira's 9 Red Flags in Online Dating

1. The Naked Profile: No personalized bio, only one photo or blurry photos, unanswered prompts, and blank basics. If someone won't take the time to fill out a profile, Spira says they probably aren't serious about dating or have something to hide.

2. The Doom-and-Gloom Dater: A profile filled with complaints and long lists of dealbreakers, often starting with "Don't contact me if..." This dater is showing a pessimistic attitude before the first date.

3. The Me, Myself, and I Profile: The dater who brags about their accomplishments, poses in front of a fancy car, and asks few questions about you. Spira says a relationship that starts this lopsided rarely balances out.

4. The Hot-and-Cold Texter: Frequent "good morning, beautiful" or "good morning, handsome" texts, followed by unexplained silence. Spira's advice is to stop double-texting, pull back, and look for someone whose words and actions match.

5. The X-Rated Flirt: Flirting can be fun, but unsolicited explicit photos, pressure to sext, or sexual messages that ignore someone's boundaries are clear warning signs and raise a safety red flag. Report this activity to the dating app.

6. The Serial Love Bomber: Declarations of love on the first date, lavish gifts, and pressure to take down a dating profile within days. Spira, who warned readers about love bombers in her bestselling book, says the rush may be intoxicating, but the love bomber often pulls back just as suddenly, leaving their match confused and hurt.

7. The Instant Relationship Dater: Someone who wants to define the relationship after one or two dates, deletes their profile right away, and talks about your future together isn't forming a healthy bond. Spira recommends what she calls a "three-month romance lease." Take three months to get to know each other, then decide whether to renew.

8. The Catfisher: A match who posts borrowed photos, tells stories that don't add up, refuses to video chat, or frequently cancels dates may be a catfisher. Spira recommends a quick video chat before meeting, since a real-time conversation is one of the easiest ways to confirm a match is who they say they are. She also encourages singles to run a reverse image search and report any profile that turns out to be fake.

9. The Sob Story Scammer: Romance scammers often target widows and the recently heartbroken, love bomb from afar, then announce a medical or financial emergency. Spira's rule is simple: if someone you met online asks for money, stop communicating and report the profile. Protect both your heart and your wallet.

"I tell singles to watch for patterns and trust their gut," says Spira. "When someone is consistent in what they say and what they do, that's a match worth your time."

Instead of only focusing on red flags, Spira says green flags matter just as much. "Look for someone who asks about your day, follows through on plans, and is kind to you and to the server at dinner."

About Julie Spira

Julie Spira, the Digital Matchmaker, is a certified dating and relationship coach, founder of Cyber-Dating Expert, and author of the bestseller "The Perils of Cyber-Dating: Confessions of a Hopeful Romantic Looking for Love Online." For more than three decades, she has helped singles date safely while looking for a romantic connection. A pioneer in the online dating industry, Spira has advised and written for popular dating platforms, coached thousands of singles, and appeared in more than 2,000 media stories, including Good Morning America, the Today Show, The New York Times, and The Wall Street Journal. Journalists frequently turn to her as an online dating safety expert to discuss romance scams, red flags, catfishing, and emerging issues in digital romance.

Julie Spira is available for media interviews on online dating safety, romance scams, and red flags in dating.

Julie Spira
Cyber-Dating Expert
+1 310-433-7786
julie@cyberdatingexpert.com
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