How romance scams operate in dating apps body
Gone are the days when individuals only dated those they’ve met in person, colleagues, friends of friends, or family friends. Everything seems to have gone online with technology, from purchases of groceries to fashion items to romance. Online romance has its perks; after all, there have been numerous success stories of people finding their soulmates online.
However, it is also a very precarious activity to engage in, more so for the older generation, who tend to be lonelier and wealthier, making them easy targets for online romance scams. This article will help you recognise the warning signs and advise you on what to do should you suspect you’re a potential victim of a romance scam.
How a Romance Scam Works
A cybercriminal is usually someone experienced in the trade. They will create a fake profile to seem attractive and enable courtship of potential victims online. They are usually very loving, pleasant, concerned, and freely divulge their personal information, including finances, in the hope that you’ll do the same.
An online dating scam tends to move pretty fast, with trust at the core of the relationship. The scammer will encourage you to change communication channels, moving you away from the site where red flags can be picked up.
Interesting to Know: In 2019, romance scams were the priciest scams recorded to the FTC (Federal Trade Commission), indicating $201 million in losses. According to the FBI (Federal Bureau of Investigations), they were also the second most recorded crime the same year.
Once the scammer has showered you with “love and affection” and ensured they have gained your trust, they will ask you for gifts or for money to sort some form of emergency, probably even for booking flights to come and see you.
The worst-case scenario is when a scammer opens an account in your name and starts channelling funds there, asking you to sort out some business on their behalf. This most likely indicates they are laundering money and using you to access the funds, putting you in jeopardy with the authorities.
Warning Signs
When someone you’ve met online, either on social media or an online dating site, starts to profess strong feelings towards you, or they lure you off the dating site where you first met, requesting emails or phone numbers, those are warning signs. They quickly gain your trust by sharing elaborate details of their lives.
Other warning signs are grammar, especially if they claim to be a university graduate or come from an English native country yet their grammar and spellings are all off. Inconsistency in stories and dissimilarities of photos on the dating platform with other social media accounts they claim to own are also things to look out for.
Promises to come and meet with you, but something always comes up at the last minute is another tell-tale sign. You will never meet scammers in person. It’s usually followed by requests for financial assistance claiming their funds are stuck due to some work or family emergency. You can find more information on romance fraud here.
Common Lies Scammers Tell
Most of these scammers claim to be American citizens or from some other Western country. They will state that they either work for the military, an oil rig, building and construction, or as a doctor requiring to travel often for work, so will rarely ever be in the US. This creates challenges in meeting in person.
Requests for finances come in the form of not being able to access their funds due to work travel or that they are in an area with no Wi-Fi and can’t communicate with you. Because by this time, you will have been hooked with promises of love and a wonderful future, you’ll do anything in your power to keep communication lines open, even if it means sending money. They also insist on specific payment methods that are irreversible. This is how they scam you.
How to Avoid Losing Your Money on a Romance Scam
Once you meet someone online and consider pursuing a genuine relationship, conduct research. Scammers often use photos and information from the internet. Be diligent in the type of information you share on social media. Don’t rush into anything and ask numerous questions. Inform your friends and family of this new “friend” and listen if they seem concerned about your new quest.
Do not share nudes or compromising videos; they can be used to extort money out of you with the threat to leak the images on social media if you don’t pay up. Set up a video or phone chat early in the relationship to see if they look like their photos.
If you notice you are being lured to communicate away from the site you met or that the individual is too perfect, be wary. Never send money to someone you’ve never met and do not share your financial information or address details. Do not, for whatever reason, be tempted to give your account details in the promise that they are sending you money; you will end up paying dearly as these are usually wanted criminals.
What to Do When You Suspect You’ve Been Scammed
Cease all communication immediately. Block all channels of communication. Report to all the authorities starting with the dating app you met your local police authorities. This helps the information circulate in an attempt to catch the culprit and prevent others from being scammed by the same criminal.
Ensure you share all the information and photos you may have of this cybercriminal withholding nothing, even if it may make you look compromised. This includes transactions and all conversations you exchanged.
If you’ve sent cash or shared your bank or credit card details, inform your bank immediately to alert them of any transactions that may occur.
Did You Know?Did you know that almost 20,000 people were victims of Romance Scams in 2019? The losses incurred nearly doubled in 2020 from the previous year, reaching a record high of $304 million.
Putting it Together
Be cautious of the information you exchange with strangers and what you post on social media. It can very well be used against you or to trick you. Involve friends or family and seek second opinions in online romances before you get involved too deep. Take your time, and don’t allow yourself to be rushed into anything. Be vigilant and inquisitive.
While it may be impossible to recover money lost on romance scams, reporting the incident will help federal investigators identify cohesions, leading to stopping these perpetrators. Never fail to report any scamming incident as you never know who could be next.
