They may use a fictional name, or falsely take on the identities of real, trusted people such as military personnel, aid workers or professionals working abroad. Dating and romance scammers will express strong emotions for you in a relatively short period of time, and will suggest you move the relationship away from the website to a more private channel, such as phone, email or instant messaging. They often claim to be from Australia or another western country, but travelling or working overseas.
They may take months to build what may feel like the romance of a lifetime and may even pretend to book flights to visit you, but never actually come. They may also ask you to send pictures or videos of yourself, possibly of an intimate nature.
Often the scammer will pretend to need the money for some sort of personal emergency. For example, they may claim to have a severely ill family member who requires immediate medical attention such as an expensive operation, or they may claim financial hardship due to an unfortunate run of bad luck such as a failed business or mugging in the street.
The scammer may also claim they want to travel to visit you, but cannot afford it unless you are able to lend them money to cover flights or other travel expenses. Sometimes the scammer will send you valuable items such as laptop computers and mobile phones, and ask you to resend them somewhere. They will invent some reason why they need you to send the goods but this is just a way for them to cover up their criminal activity. Alternatively they may ask you to buy the goods yourself and send them somewhere.
You might even be asked to accept money into your bank account and then transfer it to someone else. Warning - the above scenarios are very likely to be forms of money laundering which is a criminal offence. Never agree to transfer money for someone else. They will tell you they need your money to cover administrative fees or taxes. Scammers may attempt to lure their victims overseas, putting you in dangerous situations that can have tragic consequences. Regardless of how you are scammed, you could end up losing a lot of money.
Not all scammers will bother paying for original content and things like poetry and romantic verses can easily be lifted from the internet. When it comes to online public profiles, you should be very cautious about the pieces of information you divulge.
The common scam pattern
For people conducting these scams, this is often their full-time job. A British Columbia man was in an online relationship for just six weeks before he started handing over money to his suitor. One romance scam victim described the feeling as similar to being brainwashed.
This can start out very innocently. But it can quickly ramp up. A common request for money can involve the scammer coming to visit the victim.
Dating & romance
They might say they need money for flights or other expenses. Other large sums might be requested for investing in a business or for medical costs. The urgency of these demands tends to ramp up and can even become threatening.
One common request is to send money for fees with the pretense that the victim will be compensated with additional often huge sums of money. She believed she was set to receive a sum many times higher than that in compensation from the Nigerian court system. There is some good news in that companies like Western Union are being held accountable for helping scammers. As such, they are becoming more strict about the transfers they allow to go through.
Of course, there are always other ways to transfer money.
Dating & romance statistics
But this stuff happens all the time during online dating scams. Similarly, you should never receive or sends goods or money on behalf of someone else. Sharon Armstrong learned about this type of scam the hard way. Unfortunately, she ended up spending two and a half years in an Argentinian prison for cocaine smuggling. Whether the fraudster has promised to visit the victim or pay them back some money, there is always some excuse. These can be elaborate to the point where they may seem believable.
Avoid a Romance Scam When Using Dating Sites - Consumer Reports
One common scenario involves the victim believing the scammer is coming to visit them. Then something comes up and the scammer needs money for a passport or a ticket or to tie up some loose ends.
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While pinning their hopes on a real-life meeting, the victim keeps doling out money, even though the excuses become more and more far-fetched. Online dating scams are often run by highly organized crime rings. If so, you should report the scammer to whichever platform you met them on. You can also report the incident to your local police especially if you have handed over any money or performed any requested tasks and to the fraud centre in your country of residence:.
They can offer support and help you get out before things go further.
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Can anyone tell me how l check out a photo of a guy l meet on line to see if he is a scammer as l would like to also warn the guy. You can try a reverse image search with Google or TinEye. A little online stalking can go a long way. Type the name of the person you met online into Google or Bing and see what comes up. You might not be able to surface information like criminal records, but from their social media profiles, LinkedIn page, and other information you find, you should be able to get a sense of whether what they are telling you comports with the facts.
Sometimes, it may be wise to dig deeper. For example, if a person you met online claims to run a business abroad, call the U. Embassy to confirm that the business exists. If you are asked to send money and feel so inclined, run the whole scenario by someone you trust. Choose a friend or someone from your church or community who is less emotionally invested than you are.
Be open to their perspective. If the request for funds is indeed a scam, it may be difficult, if not impossible, to ever recover the money. Please call Member Services at Welcome to Consumer Reports. You now have access to benefits that can help you choose right, be safe and stay informed.