As the cold winter months get closer, you might be wanting someone to spend them with. There’s a reason behind that: it’s cuffing season." Introduced to Urban Dictionary in 2011, it’s the time during fall and winter when singles get serious about finding a partner to be “cuffed” to, or tied down with.

Naturally, it’s also the time of the year when online dating sites see a spike in user activity.

No one ever expects to be the victim of an online dating scam. However, according to a Consumer Reports 2016 Online Dating Survey of over 114,000 online daters, 12 percent said they were scammed, while 35 percent felt misled by someone’s online dating profile.

In fact, according to the FBI, both the number of victims and the financial losses resulting from online dating scams have nearly quadrupled in the last five years.

As was reported in CNBC’s latest American Greed Report, a new twist in online dating scams involves con artists exploiting Americans’ respect for the military.

Scammers are notorious for playing on the emotions of their victims, and this scam does just the same: it plays on the trust people have for military personnel.

One woman thought she met a military officer named Adam Smith who was serving overseas, and had a young daughter.

Wondering what went wrong on the first date that didn’t get you to a second date is an awful feeling.

Even on dates that seemed to go well, your date might later tell you something like, “I just didn’t feel a strong enough connection” or he or she might completely ignore your attempts to maintain contact.

You’re not the only one to feel this way. There are common mistakes that many singles make on the first date without even realizing it.

Nearly one in every three Americans owns a gun.

Do you think about the above statistic when checking out online dating profiles?

Not many singles do. Usually, wondering what views a potential suitor has on gun ownership or gun control is the last thing on your mind.

But before the first date; maybe before even the first message is sent; wouldn’t you want to know if this person holds a concealed carry license?

Before the ways of a narcissist blindside you, look out for these nine signs that could indicate you might be dating one:

1. They hog conversations to talk about themselves

How many times have you heard your partner’s trophy story? Narcissists love to talk about their accomplishments and achievements and envy-worthy stories. They’ll put others down to make themselves feel superior.