Tell online sites about scam artists

Dear Annie: My friend, “Josie,” recently joined a popular online dating site after her husband decided he’d rather be single. Josie met several interesting men on the site, and after chatting with them for a week or two, every single one of them asked her for money. She refused.

Finally, one asked her to cash a check for him. He spent about a month setting her up to be comfortable doing this favor and she fell for it. He and the bank took her money. The man said he would straighten it all out, but of course, he has failed to show up.

I want your help exposing this supposedly reputable online dating site. It’s a very bad place for single women to find true love. It is really a site for unscrupulous male thieves to prey on vulnerable women. Something needs to be done to put a stop to this abuse and hold these larcenous Lotharios accountable for their misdeeds. What can we do? – Angry Ann

Dear Angry: The problem with online dating sites, even reputable ones, is that they cannot guarantee the honesty of all users. Josie should send all of the personal information she has on these men to the managers of the website and register a complaint, letting them know that the reputation of their site is at risk and that they need to do a better job of vetting their clientele and keeping these scam artists out. Women need to report these men or the managers won’t know, and some women are too embarrassed to complain.

Of course, the bottom line is that people, male or female, must protect themselves by refusing to do any ”favors” that involve money. Period.