It’s not that women don’t do it; it’s just that the men do it much more. According to a MSNBC survey, 30% of the men using an online dating service are married.

So how do you spot a cheater online? Well…there really is no fool proof method and sadly catching a liar online can be harder than catching the married guy hitting on you at the bar.

However, there are some signs that might help you spot a married man online.

Married Men Warning Signs

NO PHOTO

It’s common sense. A married man will not put up his photo online obviously because he does not want to be recognized. Of course they can always put up fake photos but they usually do not have a photo at all. In fact, as a general rule, it is best to be suspicious of profiles without photos. If you start interacting with someone who doesn’t have a photo online, request them to add a photo and let them know you prefer not to communicate with them unless they put up a photo. If they have nothing to hide, adding a profile photo should not be a problem at all.

VERY SECRETIVE

It’s common sense. A married man will not put up his photo online obviously because he does not want to be recognized. Of course they can always put up fake photos but they usually do not have a photo at all. In fact, as a general rule, it is best to be suspicious of profiles without photos. If you start interacting with someone who doesn’t have a photo online, request them to add a photo and let them know you prefer not to communicate with them unless they put up a photo. If they have nothing to hide, adding a profile photo should not be a problem at all.

ONLINE PATTERNS

Most married men have a certain pattern they follow and if you watch closely enough you will notice that they are always online only at certain times or if they call you, they will only do so at certain times. This is obviously because they don’t want their partners to know they are talking to an online date. Very often, married men are online late at night while their wives are asleep. If they are online at odd hours, you should ask them why.

IRREGULAR AND ERRATIC RESPONSES

A single man will not have any restrictions on communicating with you however a married man will probably need to be more careful and therefore his responses to your emails, text messages etc may be irregular and erratic. He is probably juggling a family life, work and other personal commitments along with his online life and has to schedule chatting with you based on the other not-so-secret parts of his life. His responses may be erratic because he tries to fit in a quick email amidst the other busy aspects of his day or as mentioned above, he might be very regular and follow a strict pattern so keep an eye out.

PHONE HABITS

In addition to the above signs to look out for, if you chat with the guy on the phone there are some other phone habits that you might want to pay close attention to. Does his phone go to voicemail every time you call him? This is probably so he can call you back when it suits him. If he does answer, does he talk in hushed tones or hang up abruptly? Almost a dead giveaway is when he refuses to share his phone number with you even though he has yours and you have known each other for some time. Watch out for these signs.

AVOID FREE DATING SITES

Nothing against free dating sites, but it’s often found that married men frequent free dating sites to meet new women. This is obviously because they do not want to pay for a site and have it show up on their bank or credit card statement. Plus a married man is seldom looking for a long term relationship and they believe a casual fling is easier to find on a free dating site. If you are using one, be doubly careful.

One or two of these reasons alone cannot prove that you’re chatting with a cheater. However, if they test positive for four or more of these signs, he could very well be a married man simply looking for a way to cheat.