Boise, Idaho – Scams are everywhere! They come in every shape and form possible and continue to be a concern for everyone. A great New Years’ resolution for 2023 is to make sure you’re not getting scammed. Scams that seem to be gaining traction and getting a lot of attention are Catfish and Romance scams.
According to the Idaho Department of Finance, press release “In 2021 alone consumers reported losing a staggering $547 million to romance scams” that number comes from 2022 data that was published by the Federal Trade Commission.
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The press release describes the “Perpetrators of romance scams set online traps and use technology and social media platforms to target potential victims. The online trap is often a fake user profile created by a scammer after researching their target’s interests, relationships, and established contacts, to appear credible and trustworthy. Once a relationship begins, it may grow increasingly serious and even progress over a long period of time before red flags appear. Ultimately the scammer will attempt to extract money from the victim or utilize the victim to carry out further financial harm, etc.“
We see it happen over and over again. We saw it with the Netflix documentary the “Tinder Swindler” based on con man Simon Leviev who was able to con his matches out of hundreds of thousands of dollars.
The press release from the Idaho Department of Finance continues with “Be careful when you meet new people online, especially when you are looking for romance. Seeking a romantic partner is a complex and emotional experience at the best of times – so it’s a good idea not to mix business with romance. Don’t get swept away – make sure you are in a relationship with a real person who cares about you before even considering sharing financial information, making an investment, or loaning a person money.”
LOOK: The biggest scams today and how you can protect yourself from them
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