How to avoid romance scams
Unfortunately, once we’ve decided someone is trustworthy, it’s hard to shift our perspective. That’s especially true for older adults says Natalie Ebner, professor of psychology at the University of Florida in Gainesville. She likens it to switching tasks, “As we get older, it’s like it takes us longer to ease into the next task; we’ re just not cognitively as flexible anymore,” she explains.
So they best way to avoid getting involved with a romance scammer is to protect yourself from the get-go.
Be careful not to overshare online. “People don’t realize that they are setting themselves up to become a target… They overshare about their recent heartbreak or the fact that they’ve been recently widowed,” cautions Efstathopoulos. “The scammer immediately knows that this person is vulnerable [and] how to target them.”
Use software to sense scammers. Set up filters on your email, set social media to private, and use your carrier, or other spam-blocking programs to avoid answering unknown numbers. “Machines can do a lot for us already in deception detection and we should use them,” says Ebner.
Discuss new love interests with family and friends. All experts agree this is the best way to prevent being scammed. Try to be open to the possibility that you may not be making a decision in your own best interest, and check in with someone who can give you perspective.
Investigate suitors. Do a reverse image search. If the same picture shows up elsewhere with a different name attached to it, a scammer may have stolen it. And research their background, “get as much information from this individual without giving away your own information and try and verify that information,” says Solomon.
Avoid investing with someone you’ve met online. “You usually don’t make investments from somebody on a computer that you’ve never met before in your life,” says Solomon: “There are safer ways to make investments.”
Cut off contact. Immediately stop communicating if you suspect the individual may be a scammer. Do not reengage with them.
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