Do you believe you’re immune to romance scams? Here’s why you might want to reconsider.
Signs your new boyfriend or girlfriend is not who they say they are
Scammers are waiting around every corner, and special occasions such as Valentine’s Day, Christmas and Black Friday are usually when they kick their activities into high gear. Unfortunately, this is the perfect time of year for romance scams.
Read on to see how these scams work and what you can do about them.
Romance scams on the rise
Romance scams are increasingly popular, especially when love is in the air around Valentine’s Day. The goal is to steal your money or personal details, but it can take a while to build up to that point.
A common place to search for victims is on dating apps. The scam works by criminals showing interest in you, but after gaining your trust, they ask for money or other favors.
And it’s more common than you think. According to the FTC, nearly 70,000 people reported a romance scam last year, with over $1.3 billion in losses. That’s a staggering amount of money, which drives criminals to commit more fraud.
These scammers do a lot of research before targeting you and pay close attention to the information you share on dating sites. That’s how they know what you like and can present themselves as a perfect match.
If your profile says you’re into hiking and craft beer, they also claim to be into those things. They will even say your favorite musicians and movies are their favorites. It’s a great way to build trust by making it seem like you’re very similar.
It seems like a match made in heaven, but there is one problem: they’re never able to meet face-to-face.
“Their excuse is often baked right into their fake identity. Claiming to be on a faraway military base is the most popular excuse, but offshore oil rig worker is another common (and fake) occupation. In short, there’s no end to the lies romance scammers will tell to get your money,” the FTC explains.
Some romance scams can turn into sextortion scams quickly. That’s when someone asks to share explicit photos. If you do, they could threaten to share your pics with people on your social media contact list. The only way to stop them is to pay them off. Yikes! Tap or click here for more details on sextortion scams.
How to spot romance scammers
Valentine's Day scams: How to spot 4 sneaky tricks (that fool lots of people)
If you plan something special for Valentine’s Day, you want to ensure everything goes alright. Of course, there are 10 clever ways Alexa can help you set the mood.
But as we’ve cautioned often, scammers are out in full force when there is a special day, a global tragedy or a national event. The day of love is no exception. It’s estimated that nearly $26 billion will be spent this Valentine’s Day, so cybercriminals see it as a lucrative venture.
💔 Another romance scam victim: A 77-year-old Florida widower lost over $100,000 after falling for “Julia” on Facebook. The two chatted for eight months, and she promised to relocate from the U.K. to the U.S. after paying off a debt to a man in Minnesota. Hoping to speed things up, he sent cash to a home and a bank in Minneapolis. The twist? “Julia” wasn’t real — it was a 26-year-old man in Minnesota the whole time.
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Making friends used to be easy enough. You met people at work, your local gym or community events on the weekends. Then the pandemic hit and made it much more challenging to meet new people.
Some turn to dating apps. But those are full of scammers that you don’t want to run into. Things are so bad the FBI issued a warning about dating apps. Tap or click here to avoid these romance scams that have cost victims millions.
Woman realizes she was scammed of life savings after watching hit Netflix documentary
Streaming services are bigger than ever, thanks to the pandemic. Many Hollywood productions went straight to streaming services in the last couple of years, while others were released simultaneously at theaters.
While cutting the cord may be satisfying, it could cost you more than expected. Streaming services have seen increases in prices, and one of the most popular ones out there is raising its numbers again. Tap or click here to find out how much you’ll soon be paying for Netflix.
🎖️ He’s not that into you: Officer Kagan Dunlap says his wife constantly gets messages accusing him of cheating on her. The good-looking Marine isn’t unfaithful. Romance scammers have been using his photos since 2015 to woo women around the world, and some victims have lost thousands of dollars to their tricks. Pro tip: Do a reverse image search on anyone who claims to “love” you but you haven’t seen them IRL.
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The Russia-Ukraine conflict is nearly 6,000 miles from our border, but it’s likely already affecting you here at home.
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7 new scams to watch out for
Every day, it seems like there’s a new scam you need to watch out for. Sometimes it can be overwhelming, which is why some folks go on digital detoxes. In other words, they stop using tech devices like smartphones, computers and TVs for a little while.
5 clever scams making the rounds you need to know about
Another day, another scam. Or should we say scams? There seems to be no end to discovering crooked schemes that use every means imaginable to trick people out of their information, data and finances.
Everyone’s received text messages from unknown numbers. Sometimes it’s a service or business you use that isn’t in your contacts. It could be your food delivery app letting you know that your grub is on the way. It could also be the first step in a scam. Tap or click here to learn how the scheme works and how to keep from falling victim to it.
FBI warning: Avoid these romance scams that have cost victims millions
Dating apps are a common way to meet people these days. It might seem like harmless fun, but it can turn into a dangerous situation very quickly. Tap or click here to see why dating apps are a hotbed for human trafficking.
Looking for love? Don't get taken in by a seductive scammer
It’s difficult to find companionship as it is, but add in the isolation of the COVID-19 pandemic and the chaos of 2020 in general and you have a recipe for loneliness.
It’s a shame, too. Even though dating apps and services are more plentiful than ever, not everyone is willing to date while social distancing is in effect. Tap or click here to see why you might have better luck this coming January.
Widower conned out of his $200K life savings with this crazy online scam
The internet has completely changed the way we live our lives.
Online shopping and banking are just a couple of examples of how the internet impacts us daily. The key is staying protected. Tap or click here for 4 essential steps to safer online banking and shopping.