ROANOKE, Va. (WFXR) — Valentine’s Day is quickly approaching, which means the Better Business Bureau (BBB) is ramping up efforts to warn folks about the latest romance scams.
Between the evolution of technology and the coronavirus pandemic, single adults are embracing online dating to find love. However, before you swipe right, the BBB says you need to know to whom you are speaking.
Most romance scams start with fake profiles on online dating sites created by stealing photos and text from real accounts or elsewhere. Scammers often claim to be in the military or working overseas to explain why they can’t meet you in person. Over a short period of time, the scammer builds a fake relationship with you, exchanging photos and romantic messages, even talking on the phone or through a webcam.
Just when the relationship seems to be getting serious, your new sweetheart has a health issue or family emergency, or wants to plan a visit. No matter the story, the request is the same: they need money. But after you send money, there’s another request, and then another. Or the scammer stops communicating altogether.
Better Business Bureau
In a “catfishing” scam, the BBB says con artists create compelling backstories and full-fledged identities before tricking you into falling for someone who doesn’t exist.
While some catfishers are just lonely people hiding behind phony personas, the BBB warns catfishing is often the first step in a phishing scheme to steal personal information or a romance scam to get money from you, even tricking you into moving illegal money from other scams, which may be a crime.
Catfishing happens quite a lot in this part of the Commonwealth. So far in 2022, the BBB says they’ve seen four reports of these scams in western Virginia.
Here are some red flags to help you spot romance scams:
Once you spot these warning signs, there are several ways you can turn the tables on scam artists:
“Slow down, talk to your friends and family, and step back from it, and don’t lose your common sense. Love is that time in our life where yes, we do become kind of silly and throw caution to the wind,” said Julie Wheeler, President, and CEO of BBB Serving Western Virginia. “In this particular case, you want to make sure that it’s time to throw caution to the wind, and be careful.”
According to the BBB, people ages 20 to 29 are the most frequently-targeted group for romance. However, the group who reported money lost were those ages 40 to 69.
However, it’s not all doom and gloom when it comes to looking for love online. The BBB says seven in 10 couples found success in online dating.
For more information on romance scams, click here. You can also follow this link to check out more scams related to Valentine’s Day.
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