He has said before that he never dates... so I guess it's definitely a red flag to others.

I don't have to date, if I don't want too :)

I'm not entirely sure that this is what the OP intended, but it does seem to fit the topic.

Since I joined Mingle, I have been approached by a lot of people asking me a ton of questions. They always seem to follow a pattern, like they are filling out a form. That can only mean a few things.

1) They are a scammer whose questions will eventually lead them to personal info which they can sell or use to steal your identity.

2) They are an agent for a matchmaking service looking to create a profile for their database so they can refer clients to you. (This actually happens in the Philippines and Russia, but I am sure there are other countries too.)

3) They are a real person trying to get to know you, but are really lacking in interpersonal skills.

I always dealt with the situation by being very selective about what information I reveal - enough to string them along, but not enough that they can scam me. After a period of time, I begin making observations and asking my own questions. Like, "Gee, you are asking a lot of questions....So, how old are you? Where are you from? What is your father's name?" Basically, the same questions they are asking. Often they will avoid answering the question, then ask another question. Now is the time to call them out on their non-answers. Some will back off, and begin making small talk or begin acting like a real human being. Sooner or later, the questions return. Confront them again. Either they stay or they leave. And so on.

Anyway, I can say that nearly every single one that did this with me ended up wanting a "favor" from me. I don't even know this person! They adamantly insist they are not a scammer, but the "favor" is a textbook scam. I am often amused that they even bother to ask when I have been pleasantly non-cooperative the whole time. I have refused three scams in a row in the same conversation with the same person. Some people either just don't get it, or are just that desperate.

If they work for someone else (whether a scammer or a matchmaker), they likely are paid on commission. If they aren't very good, they may be afraid of losing their job or in some cases even worried about being harmed. Hence, some of them really are that desperate. It can make you feel sorry for them. That's okay as long as you still refuse to do what they ask of you. It's not your problem. It sucks that some scam bosses actually will beat, torture, or even kill their workers, but if you cave in to the pressure yourself, they will bleed you for all you are worth. They will ruin your life. Even then, the scam boss is still going to continue his ways simply because it gets results.

So the bottom line is, if someone on the internet begins asking you a bunch of questions like a robot, they are most likely trying to take advantage of you somehow.

Protect yourself. They may not go away until you begin blocking every name they use to make contact. It can take months if they are really persistent. Never EVER give them anything like a license number, an account number, a credit card number, or a phone number. Don't even mention the words "credit card". That only makes them try harder if they suspect you have one. Yadda, yadda, yadda.

@lynx yes scammers and also people who are really paranoid so you hit the nail on the head for both matters

If they don't answer my questions but ask me questions, then it's a problem.

But in this day and age, I think it's more then fair to give a decent background about yourself. I'd be seriously pissed if I found out the guy was a drug addict, recovering or not, and didn't have the decency to tell me.

With some folks holding a conversation is like pulling teeth.

If you ask a person a question and all you get is a one word answer, then I suppose the only thing to do is ask another question or terminate the "discussion".

I usually just tell people to go to my website. The nice thing about having a public life is you don't have to worry about people knowing stuff, it's all right there.

except for the people I have buried in the desert

(evil laugh follows last statement)