Login
For years now, the popularity of online dating has been on the riseβand so have the number of online romance scams that leave people with broken hearts and empty wallets.
In a recent CBS News story, one Texan woman was scammed out of $3,200 by a scammer claiming to be a German Cardiologist.Β After months of exchanging messages and claiming to be in love with her, he said that heβd been robbed while on a business trip in Nigeria and needed her help.
According to the U.S. Federal Trade Commission (FTC), the reported cost of online romance scams was $1.14 billion in 2023.Β
Dating and romance scams arenβt limited to online dating apps and sites, theyβll happen on social media and in online games as well. However, the FTC reports that the scam usually starts the same way, typically through an unexpected friend request or a message that comes out of the blue.Β
With the phony relationship established, the scammer starts asking for money. The FTC reports that theyβll ask for money for several bogus reasons, usually revolving around some sort of hardship where they need a βlittle helpβ so that they can pay:Β
The list goes on, yet thatβs the general gist. Scammers often employ a story with an intriguing complication that seems just reasonable enough, one where the romance scammer makes it sound like they could really use the victimβs financial help.Β
People who have filed fraud reports say theyβve paid their scammer in a few typical ways.Β Β
One is by wiring money, often through a wire transfer company. The benefit of this route, for the scammer anyway, is that this is as good as forking over cash. Once itβs gone, itβs gone. The victim lacks the protections they have with other payment forms, such as a credit card that allows the holder to cancel or contest a charge.Β
Another way is through gift cards. Scammers of all stripes, not just romance scammers, like these because they effectively work like cash, whether itβs a gift card for a major online retailer or a chain of brick-and-mortar stores. Like a wire transfer, once that gift card is handed over, the money on it is highly difficult to recover, if at all.Β
One more common payment is through reloadable debit cards. A scammer may make an initial request for such a card and then make several follow-on requests to load it up again.Β Β
In all, a romance scammer will typically look for the easiest payment method thatβs the most difficult to contest or reimburse, leaving the victim in a financial lurch once the scam ends.Β
When it comes to meeting new people online, the FTC suggests the following:Β
Scammers, although arguably heartless, are still human. They make mistakes. The stories they concoct are just that. Stories. They may jumble their details, get their times and dates all wrong, or simply get caught in an apparent lie. Also, keep in mind that some scammers may be working with several victims at once, which is yet another opportunity for them to get confused and slip up.Β
As mentioned above, some romance scammers troll social media and reach out through direct messages or friend requests. With that, there are three things you can do to cut down your chances of getting caught up with a scammer:Β
Social media platforms like Facebook, Instagram, and others give you the option of making your profile and posts visible to friends only. Choosing this setting keeps the broader internet from seeing what youβre doing, saying, and posting, which can help protect your privacy and give a romance scammer less information to exploit.Β
Be critical of the invitations you receive. Out-and-out strangers could be more than a romance scammer, they could be a fake account designed to gather information on users for purposes of cybercrime, or they can be an account designed to spread false information. There are plenty of them too. In fact, in Q4 of 2023 alone, Facebook took action on 693 million fake accounts. Reject such requests.Β
Online protection software like ours can help you spot fakes and scams. Features like McAfee Scam Protection use advanced AI to detect scam links in texts, email, and social media messages before you click. Our Personal Data Cleanup can keep you safer still by removing your personal info from sketchy data broker sites β places where scammers go to harvest useful info on their victims. And if the unfortunate happens, we offer $2 million in identity theft coverage and identity restoration support.β
If you suspect that youβre being scammed, put an end to the relationship and report it, as difficult as that may feel.Β
Notify the FTC atβ―ReportFraud.ftc.gov for support and next steps to help you recover financially as much as possible. Likewise, notify the social media site, app, or service where the scam occurred as well. In some cases, you may want to file a police report, which we cover in our broader article on identity theft and fraud.Β Β
If you sent funds via a gift card, the FTC suggests filing a claim with the company as soon as possible. They offer further advice on filing a claim here, along with a list of contact numbers for gift card brands that scammers commonly use.Β Β
Lastly, go easy on yourself. If you find yourself a victim of online dating or romance fraud, know that you wonβt be the first or last person to be taken advantage of this way. By reporting your case, you in fact may help others from falling victim too.Β
The post How to Spot Dating Scams appeared first on McAfee Blog.
FreshRSS 