Norfolk County resident loses over $200K in romance scam, police say | #datingscams | #lovescams

A Norfolk County resident was defrauded over $200,000 between November 2021 and January 2023 after establishing an online relationship, according to Ontario Provincial Police (OPP).

In a news release, OPP said on Monday around 11:30 a.m., the resident reported the fraud to police.

“It was determined that several emails and phone calls were exchanged with details of the suspect’s history and employment status and during the course of this correspondence, several requests were made for funds after the suspect claimed that they were having several emergencies and requested money,” OPP said.

Police are offering the following tips to avoid being a victim of a romance or dating scam:

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  Check website addresses carefully. Scammers often set up fake websites with very similar addresses to legitimate dating websites. Make sure you only use legitimate and reputable dating websites.
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  Never send money or give credit card or online account details to anyone you do not know and trust. A request to send money to a foreign country using e-transfers or a money transfer service to a person you have never personally met should be a red flag.
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  Don’t give out any personal information in an email or when you are chatting online. Like any scam, use your computer to your advantage. Educate yourself. Check the person’s name, the company name the addresses used, and ask yourself, “Would this be normal?”
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  Ask yourself – “Would someone I have never met really declare their love for me after only a few letters or emails or phone calls?”
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  It’s not always easy to spot scams, and new ones are invented every day.