Let’s face it, online dating is a hot bed of lies. Everyone does it, it seems, whether it is small little lies (fudging on your weight, shaving a year or two off your real age) or great big whoppers (you’re married? Really?) of all kinds.

But even though we all know just about every online dating profile contains at least one lie or half-truth, how good are we at spotting that little lie? It turns out there is research out there that reveals the most common areas in which people lie, and not surprisingly there are some differences between what men lie about and what women lie about.

Men, it turns out, are most likely to lie about their income and their height. I suppose this isn’t too surprising, given how many women talk about looking for that “tall, handsome, wealthy guy” as their ideal dating partner. And if you have any doubts about whether this is true, the next time you’re online at a dating site take note of how many men claim to be at least six feet tall and have incomes of over $85,000 per year.

As for women, they too have weak areas when it comes to lying in their online profiles. The most common lies told by women are their weight and their physical build – surprise!

At least there is one area of common ground when it comes to not quite telling the truth in an online profile. Both women and men are just as likely to lie about their age, especially those who are over the age of 40. These are the people who are most likely to list themselves as in their mid to late thirties.

Don’t say you haven’t been warned!

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Don’t think it’s fair that most dating websites focus only on men when they’re talking about who to avoid online? Neither do we. So here are 3 types of women you want to avoid on dating sites – date them at your own risk.

The “I’m Looking for a Friend” Woman

First of all, no self-respecting woman wants to go onto a dating website for friendship. She wants to get married – that’s it. But there’s another possible explanation. If she’s specific about finding a ‘friend’ it can also mean she just wants to hook up with someone. Know what I mean?

The “I’m a Casual Type of Gal” Woman

The woman who posts pictures of herself hiking along the Grand Canyon? Take a closer look. She might profess to being an outdoorsy type of woman who’s ready for an adventure, but she’s still wearing makeup. Contradiction, anyone?

This woman is toting makeup in her hiking gear. And she’s not low maintenance. By any means.

The “I’m So Desperate You Can Smell It” Woman

This woman has listed in her profile all of the typical man things. She loves football, hanging out on the couch, and even gun shows. While there are women like this out there, if she doesn’t have anything girly on her profile, it means she just wants a man, like, NOW. RIGHT NOW.

Of course there are male types to avoid as well. Don’t say we didn’t warn you.

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Even though you might be single now, that doesn’t mean you have to be alone in your hunt for someone to date. The truth is that you need a sort of wingman (or wing-woman) to help you navigate the online dating scene, while you also need a dating buddy to commiserate with as you jump into the dating pool.

There are a few things you should look for in your dating buddy:

• Someone who is looking for love too
• Someone who has been successful on the site you’re using
• Someone who is positive
• Someone who will motivate you to take chances

You want someone to make sure you are buddy-ing up with someone who will push you to try things that you normally wouldn’t. That is, if you get rejected on the site by someone, your buddy is the one that tells you to try again anyway – not to give up.

You also want someone who is going to be completely honest with you when you need that dose of reality. If your profile needs work or you simply need to take more chances winking at people or emailing those that you like, your buddy should be telling you so.

Together, you just might find love and then you won’t need a dating buddy anymore – but you can then start being each other’s relationship buddy.

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