Dating sites for widows/widowers?

[WideLane]

I have googled and a few results came up but I was just wondering if anyone here had any personal experience of any of them, or any recommendations?

I've not done dating for nearly 30yrs! It's a whole new world out there!

I don't know of any but I might be interested to know what anyone's finding might be.

No idea but if such a thing exists I'd steer well clear of it.

OLD is a minefield anyway - the catfishers/"lend me all your money" fraudsters/abusers/married men looking for a leg over types are super skilled at targetting the vulnerable.

A widow is a prime candidate - likely to be vulnerable and probably relatively flush with cash.

If you sign up to an OLD site specifically for bereaved spouses it's like having a neon sign that you are a target.

If you want to do OLD AND you are ready for it, I'd go for a normal mainstream website and I wouldn't advertise you are a widow. That's something to reveal a bit later in the process...

Not sure I agree with the previous poster.

I recommend being as specific as possible on your profile.

I'm a widow, I'm looking for a man /woman with xyz qualities to go for lunch with and occasional trip to the theatre.

Or whatever it is you want.

Widows are not necessarily vulnerable, or rich, it's a bit ripe to suggest that the op is either.

Widowed & Young (WAY) is not a dating site but it is a social site / chat room and is probably a really good place to start since it's well-monitored and members are genuine. I'd be inclined to agree with other posters that general OLD sites are a haven for dodgy on-the-make types. I think WAY is for under 50s but there's also an option for older widows/widowers. Only problem is that you need to be near a largish town/city for it to be useful since the overall numbers are relatively small. Good luck.

Thank you for your replies. I took the plunge yesterday and joined one of the sites. God it's soul destroying:(. I don't know why but I'd assumed everyone on it was widowed. I'll take a look at WAY.

Widows are not necessarily vulnerable, or rich, it's a bit ripe to suggest that the op is either

I think you've missed the point. A widow will be perceived by a potential catfish scammer to be emotionally vulnerable (recently bereaved and alone after a marriage) and likely to have some additional wealth (assets of the deceased spouse).

These fraudsters work by appearing ultra charming and suckering people in. It doesn't matter whether the OP is in fact vulnerable or wealthy. My point was if you advertise the fact you are recently widowed, it is a beacon to these kind of people.

And before you get all "I'd never fall for that" sniffy, it's worth while remembering that sophisticated fraudsters succeed because they are good at reading people and work slowly. If you google for online dating catfish stories, you will be amazed at the number of bright , educated women who fall for this.

Joining this thread for mutual support
My DH died in the summer of 2017. I'm slowly coming out of the fog and have been experimenting with OLD. My young adult son said he thought it would be best to meet a widower, because they would understand! So I had a look and realise that many sites say they're for widow/widowers, but in fact are not really.
As long as you have your antennae waving madly I think OLD can be great for people in our boat. It's nearly 30 years for me too, and a few online conversations with nice people, even if they don't lead anywhere, can be great for building confidence/testing the water. I quite like Bumble because it puts women in the driving seat, but there's a frustrating lack of detail on most of the profiles. I have had a few dates but nothing very promising yet, except perhaps one chap who is also widowed, but for the moment we are 'just friends'. However that is a result I think! I miss lovely male company so much.
I am too old for WAY and I found WayUp (50+) a bit depressing, almost competitive grieving in the group I went out with :-( But I'm sure that doesn't apply everywhere.
Meetup has really helped me get out and about without the pressure of romantic expectations. In fact the walking groups I've joined have pretty much saved my sanity.
Looking forward to sharing more experiences