Feb. 16, 2022 "Online dating scams are on the rise, FBI and FTC warn. Here are some red flags": Today I found this article by Mike Snider on Yahoo news:
Valentine's Day is behind us, but romance scams remain alive and dwell online, with fake suitors' latest goal to get you to invest in cryptocurrency.
Romance scams, in which an online scammer leads a person on with talk of love and then swindles them, do not end after the roses and chocolates are delivered.
The FBI issued an alert last week about victims of romance fraud losing $1 billion in 2021. Similarly, romance scams reported to the Federal Trade Commission rose 80% in 2021, with victims losing $547 million.
These numbers are likely low, both agencies said. "The bottom line is most consumers are not reporting fraud when it happens and romance scams may be particularly unlikely to be reported because there can be a lot of embarrassment around it," said Emma Fletcher, a FTC analyst, told USA TODAY.
Scammers may attempt to connect with victims on dating apps, and they may send unsolicited private messages on Facebook, Instagram and other social media sites. Eventually the scammers – who typically live in another part of the country or world – will seek money to help with an emergency or for travel, the agencies say. They will also try to get important data from victims, too, including birth dates and bank account numbers.
While scammers may specifically target women over the age of 40 who are widowed, divorced, elderly and who may be disabled, the FBI said, Americans of all ages are susceptible.
Romance scams increased among all ages in 2021, with those aged 70 and up reporting the highest losses – nearly $9,000 per case – while those aged 18-29 lost $750, the FTC said.
Ahead of Valentine's Day, TikTok issued a safety advisory to users with #BeCyberSmart that included tips to be alert to romance scams as they have "long-plagued dating apps & other online forums."
Dating scammers want cryptocurrency, gift cards
When scammers sought payments from victims, they were most likely to ask for gift cards, the FTC said. However, the largest losses came from payments made in cryptocurrency, which accounted for $139 million in losses in 2021, with the median reported loss of $9,770, the FTC said.
Typically, a scammer will hold themselves up as a savvy investor and mention buying cryptocurrency and suggest you send it to an online wallet, which the victim thinks is an investment website. "But in fact, it's all a scam," Fletcher said.
FBI, FTC tips on how to protect yourself from romance scams
Be on the alert if your new online love wants you to leave the dating app where you met to move to a more private messaging option, such as email or text.
Another warning sign: They ask you to send compromising photos or videos of yourself.
Do not send money, trade or invest at the advice of someone you have only met online.
Only a scammer would ask you to send them cryptocurrency, give them the numbers on a gift card or wire them money.
Do not give your banking information, Social Security Number, copies of your identification or passport or any other sensitive information to anyone online or to a site you do not know is legitimate.
Do not disclose your current financial status to unknown and untrusted individuals.
Talk to friends or family about a new love interest and pay attention if they’re concerned.
If your online love's photo appears too perfect, that's a sign of a scammer, too. Use Google to do a reverse-image search of their profile picture to see if their photo matches someone with another name.
If you suspect an online relationship is a scam, stop all contact immediately. If you have already sent money, immediately report any fund transfer to your financial institution.
You can file a complaint with the FBI’s Internet Crime Complaint Center (www.ic3.gov), your local FBI office or other law enforcement agency. Also report the crime to the FTC at ReportFraud.ftc.gov.
A woman using the name "Darlene" tells the story of how she was scammed in a video on the FBI's YouTube channel. "I gave him my phone number because he seemed so authentic," she said. "Well, within three weeks or so, he was expressing that he was falling in love with me."
The man, who she called "Giovanni," told her he was an architect and a contractor who had to travel to Turkey for a job and asked for a loan of $30,000. Then, he needed more money. "We're going through this forever. We're going to get married," he told her.
Darlene began to see flags, but "was ignoring them," she said. In the end, she gave him $530,000 – her retirement fund, which is why at nearly the age of 74 she is still working, she said.
"How could I have fallen for this? But it happens to so many people from all walks of life," she said. "I do not want it to happen to anyone else."
The FBI received more than 25,000 romance fraud complaints in 2021, said FBI special agent Keith Custer of Baltimore in another FBI YouTube video. "Victims at the end of a romance scam can feel manipulated," he said. "Families, relationships, marriages can be torn apart, and the toll that one of these scams can take is devastating."
Online dating scams are on the rise, FBI and FTC warn. Here are some red flags. (yahoo.com)
Mar. 13, 2022 "Online dating scams are now among the most common ways to lose money to fraud": Today I found this article by Serah Louis on the Financial Post:
Blaire Wortley met a man on dating app Hinge in September 2021. He was smart, successful and said all the right things.
“[He was] very charismatic, very outgoing and to the point, seemed to know what he was looking for … Having someone who seemed very engaged and asking the questions and keeping my attention was very appealing,” said Wortley, who lives in Calgary, Alta.
She became suspicious after the man failed to e-transfer her money for a dinner date that he insisted he would pay for. After some social media stalking, her friend came across a photo of his ID on Facebook — with a comment underneath from a woman who claimed to have been scammed by him.
A booming business
Worley says she soon discovered that he was targeting single white women in their 30s, and had convinced them to send him money for things like tech deals or lavish vacations.
While Wortley only lost $90 from her dinner date, she says other women allege they got scammed by the man for $2,000 to $3,000 on average.
Wortley’s Hinge date is just one out of many alleged swindlers who have been recently reported to authorities. After investment fraud, romance scams cost Canadians the most money in 2021, according to the Canadian Anti-Fraud Centre (CAFC).
The centre received 1,928 reports of romance scams, which totalled more than $64.6 million in losses in 2021 — although Sue Labine, a call centre supervisor at the CAFC, says this number is an underestimate. Data shows less than five per cent of victims report fraud.
As Canadians emerge from pandemic isolation and seek out emotional connection online, dating app users need to stay vigilant and do their research after they swipe right to avoid breaking the bank — and their hearts.
How do romance scammers swindle their victims?
“They imitate the person’s life, how they live, to match their own profile. For example, if the person they’re targeting is a golfer, well, then they’re great at golfing,” Labine says.
Scammers may use psychological tactics to gain a victim’s trust, like professing their love immediately or sending them gifts, and often work in a group with other scammers to help each other exploit their victims’ weaknesses.
Wortley, who works in the wireless industry, says the man she spoke to likely found her profile on LinkedIn and other social media platforms. “He’s like, I used to work for Google, I actually know your company. And then he name-dropped someone from my company … He had also mentioned that his family owned a ranch and he owns two horses. Well, my family owns a ranch. We have horses.”
He postponed their first date because he said he got into a car accident. Wortley was initially skeptical until he sent her a photo of him in a neck brace at the hospital — a photo that other victims received as well, she says.
When they rescheduled for dinner, she said he pretended to e-transfer her at the table after telling her he forgot his wallet at work. She later told him that she never received the money, and he told her his accounts were frozen and sent her screenshots of his live chat with the bank.
Labine says scammers come up with various reasons for victims to send them money, such as for a cryptocurrency investment scheme, a hospital bill or short-term loan. Sometimes they may ask you for money within a few days, while others will build a relationship for months and years beforehand.
“As long as the victim is continuously showing that they’re suspicious, then it’ll take longer for the scammer before they start asking for money,” she says.
Wortley believes victims may feel embarrassed or ashamed to report when they have been scammed. “You think, what’s going to be done? You’re like, how am I gonna get $3,000 back? … What’s even the point?”
Wortley created a public Facebook group to report the man she met, give others a space to share their stories and spread awareness about romance fraudsters in general. When she connected with other victims, she also discovered that he operated by stealing from one woman to pay back another.
Calgary police announced in February that the man she reported has been charged with two counts of fraud over $5,000 and possession of proceeds of crime over $5,000, with other charges pending.
What should you do when you’ve been scammed?
If you are a victim of fraud, contact your local police and either call the CAFC or report on their website. And flag the scammer’s profile to the dating app company, which may be able to ban or remove the user from the app.
When it comes to getting your money back, Labine says this depends on your bank and what policies it has regarding fraud, although the likelihood that you’ll be reimbursed is quite small.
“If you report it right away, and the fraudster didn’t withdraw the funds from the account right away, then there’s a possibility that [the bank] could stop that transaction.”
What are some red flags to look out for?
“Love bombing is number one … nobody fully knows you to love you that much that quickly,” says Wortley, who mentioned that her scammer told her he really liked her before she even met him.
“Another red flag is — I like to call them Mr. Me Toos.” Scammers want you to like and trust them, so they’ll go along with your preferences and interests.
Do your research when you meet someone online and check out their profiles on social media as well.
Also look out for people who talk about their money or finances too soon, Wortley adds. The man she met on Hinge constantly bragged about his supposed wealth.
When it comes to your own behaviour on dating apps, you should never give out any financial or personal information to somebody you’ve never met, notes Labine.
Don’t send intimate photos or videos of yourself, and do a reverse image search of photos that they send you, just in case they’ve been posted elsewhere.
Wortley says many women have reached out to her to ask how they can get their scammers charged and investigated. If you think you’re a victim of a romance scam, she says, trust your instincts and don’t give up.
“Don’t let someone make you feel crazy. If someone’s gaslighting you for something that they’re absolutely doing [and says] I’m sorry I made you feel that way? No, you didn’t make me feel any way. You did this. So, stick to your guns. You know what’s right.”
This article provides information only and should not be construed as advice. It is provided without warranty of any kind.
Online dating scams are now among the most common ways to lose money to fraud | Financial Post
My opinion: The part of the "me too" and how this person may be pretending to have a lot in common with you is kind of grey. When I meet new people or try to get someone to like me, I see what we have in common by asking about about their interests like what TV shows they watch.
I almost got scammed out for $4000 when I thought I got hired at this office. I wrote about it in my Jul. 2017 blog post:
Scream 4/ Southgate Construction scam
Tracy's blog: Scream 4/ Southgate Construction scam (badcb.blogspot.com)
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