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The Most Common Lies Guys Tell on Facebook

Are you the type that turns to Facebook when starting a new relationship? YourTango has compiled a list of the most common lies men put on their profiles and how to spot a potential fake.

Facebook stalking a hot guy? Don't believe everything you read.

Do you use Facebook to expand your dating pool? You're not the only one. And if you don't, you might be missing out. Why? With Facebook, there is a transparency because you can actually see potential partners' photos, read their interactions, and extract a greater understanding of their day-to-day reality.

You can even do a little investigative digging, asking mutual friends about them, analyzing photos, getting a feel for their personality based on how they interact with "friends" on their wall. Well . . . that's if they are being honest and truly transparent. The danger with Facebook is that you can also create an identity with the intention of getting anything from a job to a date to a social life (despite the reality that you sit at home feeling pretty cool about yourself for collecting a slew of "friends").

Con artists are undoubtedly slinking around Facebook, so here's where to spot the scammers:

Lie Alert! Relationship Status
Relationship status can be very deceptive. You can declare yourself as single, in a relationship, engaged, married, in a civil union, in a domestic partnership, in an open relationship, "it's complicated," separated, divorced, widowed — or avoid answering anything at all, the go-to for many guys who are playing the field of the free dating site that is Facebook.

Even if his status is "single," don't trust it. Maybe he hasn't "gotten around" to changing his status yet. Do your digging before believing a Facebook relationship status. Check out a few photos. Or just ask him straight up. If you trust him enough to go out on a date with him, you should be able to ask him a very simple question: "So, what's your relationship status?" Simple.

Lie Alert! Friends
This is one of the areas that Facebook can create serious deception. You might seem to have 15 or just two friends in common and that automatically gives you a sense of comfort as you think, "Well, he knows my friend from high school, so he must be a good guy who I can trust."

Not so. Fact is that you can friend request anyone and, even if they don't know you from Adam (sorry, all of you Adams out there), there is still a decent chance that you will be accepted — particularly if Facebook is used more for the purpose of business than keeping up with your true friends and family.

If a fake is interested in creating a sense of trust with you, he very well could go through your friend list, spot those who use the site for purposes of business, friend request them, and pack on a bunch of "friends" that you have in common.

Lie Alert! Age
Age is another one of those hidden facts on Facebook that's revealed on other online dating sites (though people lie there, too). Not sure that he is the age he claims to be? Check out his friends, schools he graduated from, activities, habits, speech, and see if they sync up with what he says.

For two more tips, head to YourTango: The Five Lies Guys Tell on Facebook

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