Gardaí are warning the public – especially women – to be wary of Valentine’s Day scams as the big day approaches.
cams involving online dating and romance increased by 86pc last year and gardaí say people need to be especially vigilant against fraudsters.
Women – who comprise 70pc of victims – need to be particularly wary.
Typical scams by so-called romance fraudsters include asking the victim for money to cover the cost of travelling to see them or claiming they need money to cover emergency medical expenses for a child or other family members.
Other scams include claiming they have a business opportunity which would allow the fraudster and victim to live comfortably together.
There is also a growing link between romance scams and investment fraud.
“In many cases, scammers will ask victims to invest in a fraudulent scheme or business. Such investments ultimately see the funds transferred to the fraudster through a number of linked accounts.”
“Members of the public are advised to be vigilant as there are huge risks involved in investing in cryptocurrencies and not to share any money with someone they meet through online websites or apps and to get professional and legal advice before investing,” gardaí said in a statement.
“An Garda Síochána works closely with Europol to disrupt the activities of romance scammers, particularly organised crime gangs that engage in this type of criminality as well as monitoring dating sites for this activity.”
They cited recent examples in which fraudsters manipulated their victims into handing over tens of thousands of euro.
In one case, a 41-year-old female was contacted by a male claiming to be a well-known musician and was defrauded of more than €26,000 when she became romantically involved online.
In another case, a 65-year-old woman was defrauded of €35,000 to a man she met through social media and ended up sending him money to various accounts in Malaysia.
A 51-year-old woman was also defrauded of €90,000 by a man she met online, who convinced her to part with the money, claiming it was an investment loan.
Women are not the only victims.
In another case, a 38-year-old male who was engaging with a woman he met online lost €3,800 in a single transaction after he sent the woman Bitcoin that she claimed she needed in order to return home from Mexico.
Gardaí said fraudsters will typically try to move away from dating websites and suggest other forms or communication such as instant messaging, text or phone calls instead.
They will also ask the target a lot of personal questions, but will avoid answering personal questions about themselves.
“The details that they do tell you seem made up or do not reflect reality. For instance, they may say that they are university educated, but their spelling and grammar is poor.”
They will also try to establish a bond quickly and may start to use endearing pet names early on.
They will also reveal they have money problems, hoping the target will offer to help.
Other scams involve asking the target to invest in a scheme or business.
Another red flag is the fraudster will never meet the target in person and will present obstacles to meet or else will make plans to meet but will cancel them at the last minute or claim they have financial troubles preventing them from meeting up.
Gardaí urge those who are considering dating online or on social media to only use trusted dating websites, never divulge personal details or send or receive money.
They also advise caution when using a webcam and for people to follow their instincts if something doesn’t seem right.
“For further advice or information or if you believe that you are a victim of a romance scam, or think your identity or personal information has been compromised, please contact any Garda Station and report the crime. Be assured that An Garda Síochána will treat all reports in confidence.,” the statement read.
