This Valentine’s Day Avoid a Heartbreak from a Romance Scam

With Valentine’s day coming up it’s important to recognize one of the risks we take when dating and meeting people online with is falling victim to a romance scam. According to the FTC, in 2019 people reported losing $201 million to scammers who pretended to have a relationship with them in order to take advantage of them. If you’re using online dating apps or websites, you should be aware of the warning signs of romance scammers and how they trick people into sending them money.

What is a Romance Scam?

A romance scam is a serious crime that is punishable with fines and prison time. It occurs when a scammer establishes an online relationship with someone with the goal of gaining their trust and eventually asking them for money and then disappearing. A scammer will set up a fake dating profile with a fake name and picture and start a romantic relationship with the victim. They often say they are from the U.S. but currently live and work or study oversees.

The scammer will gain the victim’s trust by sharing personal information, saying loving words, sending gifts, and constantly messaging them. They will work on gaining a victim’s trust for as long as they have to in order to achieve their goal, it could take them months or even years until they commit the scam.

How a Scammer Tricks Their Victim

Once the scammer establishes a relationship with the victim and after some time of talking gains their trust, he or she will ask them for money. There are different stories a scammer can make up for what they need the money for. The most common reasons include:

Medical emergency

The scammer will ask for money because they need urgent surgery for themselves or a close relative, they’ve suffered an accident and need emergency medical care or a sudden illness that needs to be treated. By this point the victim is in a loving relationship with the scammer and will be interested in helping them, which is why it is easy to fall for these stories.

Travel expenses

The victim may be asked to send money so the scammer can travel and visit them in person. The scammer could show false proof of traveling documents but never actually take the trip.

Financial problems

Scammers often lie about their financial situation, a common reason why they ask for money is to help them after a failed business or because they were recently fired from their job. They could also use their financial hardship as an excuse for not being able to travel and meet in person, this is to pressure the victim into sending them money so they can finally meet.

Warning Signs to Watch Out For

• If they have poor English and poor writing skills and claim to be from the U.S. and college educated, this is a sign that they are probably lying.

• They immediately ask to continue the conversation on another platform that isn’t the online dating chat, either through text messages or email.

• Be suspicious of someone that professes their love for you quickly after meeting online.

• They always have an excuse as to why they can meet in person, either money problems, not enough time or a sudden emergency.

• If you talk to them over the phone and their picture doesn’t match their voice or if they have an accent that isn’t from the country they claim they’re from.

• If they threaten you or become overly persistent when asking for money or a favor.

What to Do if You’ve Been Scammed

Romance scams are serious white-collar crimes that are punishable with fines and prison time. If you are a victim of a romance scam it’s important that you report it to the authorities. The Federal Trade Commission has a website dedicated to reporting romance scammers. Remember to always protect your personal information online and never send money or do favors for someone you recently met on a dating site.