In today's world of online dating, it's hard to weed out the players and scammers. I've been in the "online dating' scene for over 5 years and I've learned how to spot most of the scammers within a few emails or instant messages. Unfortunately, these men and women make their living by trying to get U.S. and Canadian citizens to send them money or allow them to send items via UPS, FedEx, and DHL. Sometimes, but not often, they us the postal service. They sweet talk the victims, sometimes for months, then tell them that they work for an orphanage, or they've suddenly become ill and they're hospitalized. The unwitting victim sends money to help these people they care so much about and wind up losing all the way around. This is real! It happens every day and I'm hoping that my little column will help. I'll be posting advice on a daily basis in the hopes of helping others to identify them thereby saving them from being ripped off and being used by these people. Check back tomorrow as this story continues. If you have questions, please don't hesitate to email me. I'll help if I can.