Filenews 23 August 2022
Every day, hundreds of thousands of people around the world turn to online dating apps or social networking sites to get to know someone.
But instead of finding romance or the loved one they are looking for, many are confronted with a scammer trying to trick them into sending money.
#1 tip to avoid a romance scam
In the U.S., according to the Federal Trade Commission alone, in 2019, people reported losing more than $200 million to romance scams.
"Romantic scammers" create fake profiles on dating sites and apps or communicate with their targets through popular social media sites like Instagram, Facebook, or Google Hangouts. Scammers create a relationship of intimacy with their "goals" to build their trust, sometimes, chatting several times a day. Then they make up a fantastic story and ask for money.
Fake stories
They are often told that they live or travel outside the country where their prospective victim resides. To fool their victims, they usually say that they are:
- workers on an oil rig
- in the army
- doctors in an international organization
- members of multinational companies
- members of charitable organizations
Based on the recorded assumptions, "romantic scammers", usually ask their targets for money to:
- pay for a plane ticket or other travel expenses
- pay for surgery or other medical expenses
- pay customs fees to recover something
- repay their gambling debts because their lives are in danger
- pay for visas or other official travel documents
The prevailing method of paying the money they ask their victims to pay is:
- via electronic money transfer (Wiring Money)
- by reloading cards like MoneyPak or gift cards from vendors like Amazon, Google Play, iTunes, or Steam
Scammers ask you to pay via money transfer, by reloading cards, or by gift cards, because they can get the cash quickly and remain anonymous. They also know that transactions are almost impossible to reverse, but also to be traced.
How to avoid losing money to a romantic scammer
Most importantly: Never send money or gifts to a "loved one" that you have not met in person.
If you suspect a romantic scam:
- Stop communicating immediately with the person.
- Talk to someone you trust and be careful if friends or family tell you they're worried about the person you're chatting with. Listen to what your friends/family tell you.
- Do an online search for the type and place of work that the suspicious person told you to see if other people have heard similar stories. For example, if you have invoked some treatment or surgery to ask for money, you could search for "surgery scam" or "treatment scam". You will find and read hundreds of examples and stories of other people who fell victim to fraud of this type. You'll also read some of the fakes – tricks scammers use to steal your heart and money.
Romantic scams will cost you
Before you trust any person you meet through websites and dating apps, do a reverse search of the person's profile picture to see if it's related to another name or to details that don't match – these are signs of fraud.
How to report a romantic scam
If you paid a romantic scammer with a gift card, immediately contact the company that issued the card. Tell them that you paid for a scam with the gift card and ask if they can refund your money.
If you are a victim or believe that this is a scam, please contact the Police's Cybercrime Office directly or submit it online through the Complaints/Information Registration Form for Cybercrime Issues from the official website of the Police.
At the same time, notify the website or application through which you met the scammer, so that they can take their own actions accordingly.
More about online scams and useful tips CyberAlert.Cy.
