With Valentine’s Day coming up, the FBI has a warning about romance scams.Scammers prey on the most vulnerable victims, gain their trust and take their money.These fraudsters will seem genuine, caring and believable. Sometimes they’ll impersonate a celebrity. They’ll do their research, gathering information from a victim’s social media account to find ways to develop a connection.Once that rapport is built, scammers will manipulate victims with promises of lucrative investment opportunities – often with cryptocurrency. The bad guys may create fake websites that look real for victims to deposit the money.Scammers may also provide a hardship story in the hopes the victim will feel sorry for them and want to help them get back on their feet.They fabricate things like medical emergencies they need money for. They may also claim they want to meet but request the victim pay for their airfare and travel up front.Protect yourselfThe FBI offered this advice to avoid losing money to a romance scammer:Think twice before you share personal information online. Scammers can use details shared on dating sites and social media platforms to better target victims.If you try online dating, only use dating sites with well-known reputations. Search people’s photos and profiles online to see if anyone has used the names, images or information elsewhere.Take the relationship slow and ask lots of questions.Beware if the person quickly asks you to leave a dating app or social media platform to go offline or tries to isolate you from friends and family.Never send money, cryptocurrency or gift cards to anyone you’ve only communicated with online or by phone.Be particularly cautious if the person you’re communicating with is overseas. Scammers often use overseas construction or military jobs as an excuse to not be able to meet in person.If you are the victim of a romance scam, file a complaint with the FBI’s Internet Crime Complaint Center.
With Valentine’s Day coming up, the FBI has a warning about romance scams.
Scammers prey on the most vulnerable victims, gain their trust and take their money.
These fraudsters will seem genuine, caring and believable. Sometimes they’ll impersonate a celebrity.
They’ll do their research, gathering information from a victim’s social media account to find ways to develop a connection.
Once that rapport is built, scammers will manipulate victims with promises of lucrative investment opportunities – often with cryptocurrency.
The bad guys may create fake websites that look real for victims to deposit the money.
Scammers may also provide a hardship story in the hopes the victim will feel sorry for them and want to help them get back on their feet.
They fabricate things like medical emergencies they need money for. They may also claim they want to meet but request the victim pay for their airfare and travel up front.
Protect yourself
The FBI offered this advice to avoid losing money to a romance scammer:
- Think twice before you share personal information online. Scammers can use details shared on dating sites and social media platforms to better target victims.
- If you try online dating, only use dating sites with well-known reputations. Search people’s photos and profiles online to see if anyone has used the names, images or information elsewhere.
- Take the relationship slow and ask lots of questions.
- Beware if the person quickly asks you to leave a dating app or social media platform to go offline or tries to isolate you from friends and family.
- Never send money, cryptocurrency or gift cards to anyone you’ve only communicated with online or by phone.
- Be particularly cautious if the person you’re communicating with is overseas. Scammers often use overseas construction or military jobs as an excuse to not be able to meet in person.
If you are the victim of a romance scam, file a complaint with the FBI’s Internet Crime Complaint Center.
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