Scammers take advantage of the anonymity of online dating sites to trick people into sending them money.
The signs you are being catfished include a lack of any kind of personal information, inconsistencies in their stories, and inconsistencies in their pictures. The scammers will often create fake profiles on these sites and then use them to contact potential victims. They will then ask for money in order to help them with some sort of emergency situation, such as a hospital bill or an immigration issue. The scammer will often claim that they need the money urgently and that they can’t wait for it to be sent through normal channels.
The scammers will also use other methods, such as posing as someone who is interested in you but lives in another country and needs help with travel expenses or claiming that they have been robbed and need help paying their bills.
Law enforcement agencies are not just limited to catching criminals in the physical world. They also have a role to play in the virtual world. The FBI has a cyber-crime division that tackles internet scams and fraud committed over the internet.
Based on www.ic3.gov, In 2021, $1 billion was lost to romance scams across the United States. It’s likely that many more losses went unreported.
A large scamming ring in Texas caught 11 fraudsters targeting elderly victims. These defendants allegedly preyed on victims over 60 years old, many of whom were widowed or divorced. Allegedly they used fake names and trolled dating sites like Match.com, ChistianMingle, JSwipe and PlentyofFish in order to find targets.
Once they had convinced their victims that they needed money, the scammers would come up with sob stories to make themselves seem more legitimate. For example, CEOs would claim that they have lost an inheritance, or someone else’s travel funds were stolen.
Luckily these scammers were caught If convicted of the wire fraud conspiracy count and the money laundering conspiracy, the defendants can face up to 20 years in federal prison.
The best way to protect yourself from being victimized by an online dating scam is to be aware of the warning signs. These include:
– The person you’re talking to is not willing to meet in person
– The person you’re talking to asks for money
– The person you’re talking to asks for your personal information
– The person you’re talking to wants a relationship right away
One of the most important things is to never send money or give out your personal information to someone you don’t know.
Before you develop a romantic relationship with someone you meet online, here are some things to keep in mind:
Use Google or other social media search tools to see if any information they’ve given you has been used by other people.
Ask LOTS of questions.
If someone tells you that they want to be your only friend, tries to control who you talk to, or asks for personal photos and/or financial information from you, this could later be used as an opportunity for extortion.
This is a classic scam to avoid doing business. If you have been unable to meet with the person after more than a few weeks (for whatever reason), it’s time to cut ties.
If you suspect an online relationship is a scam, stop all contact immediately and file a complaint with the FBI’s Internet Crime Complaint Center at www.ic3.gov. You can report scams whether or not you’ve lost money.
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[…] Romance scams: Romance scams involve creating fake online dating profiles and using them to build relationships with victims, often with the goal of getting money or sensitive information from them. For example, a scammer might create a fake profile on a dating website and start a relationship with a victim, eventually asking for money to help them with a supposed emergency. Read our article on Romance Scams here […]
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