The following is a news release from the FBI.
SALT LAKE CITY — Looking for love? This Valentine’s Day, FBI Salt Lake City is raising awareness about romance scams, or confidence fraud, so you can protect your heart and your wallet.
A romance scam is when a perpetrator deceives a victim into believing the two have a trusting relationship, whether family, friendly, or romantic. The victim is then persuaded to send money, personal or financial information, or items of value, or launder money on behalf of the perpetrator.
Romance scams can happen to anyone at any time and have resulted in one of the highest amounts of financial losses when compared to other Internet-facilitated crimes.
According to the FBI’s Internet Crime Complaint Center (IC3), about 24,000 victims lost approximately $1 billion to romance scams in 2021.
In 2020, nearly 300 Utahns reported losing more than $6 million to romance scams. That same year in Montana, 68 victims reported losses of $936,068, and in Idaho, 130 victims reported more than $2 million in losses.
The FBI suggests the following tips to avoid becoming a victim:
If you suspect an online relationship is a scam, stop all contact immediately. If you have already sent money, immediately report any transfer of funds to your financial institution; file a complaint with the FBI’s Internet Crime Complaint Center at www.ic3.gov and contact your local FBI office or other law enforcement agency.
For more information on romance scams, visit www.fbi.gov/romancescams.
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