Reformed romance scammer reveals tactics and motivation | #datingscams | #lovescams

WASHINGTON (7News) —

Romance scams, also called confidence scams, leave victims with both financial and emotional loss.

7News On Your Side’s Lindsey Mastis spoke with a man in Nigeria who says he is a reformed romance scammer.

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Adekunle Adedeji goes by Chris, the name his last victim gave him after he came clean to her about stealing her money. She wasn’t his only victim.

“I made over $30,000,” he said.

Chris now works for Social Catfish, a company dedicated to preventing online scams through reverse search technology.

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Chris provides insight into how romance scammers operate.

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“I made them fall in love with me,” he said.

When asked how he makes someone fall in love with him, he replied, “I might be funny to some people. And I have a great sense of humor.”

Chris said he spent upwards of 10 hours a day communicating with his victims. But Chris didn’t look like himself. Instead, he stole a picture of a different man off the internet and came up with a backstory involving the U.S. military.

“I used to tell them that I am from the United States, but I’m on deployments most time I go I tell them I go on deployments,” he said.

Then he’d ask for money for all kinds of reasons.

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“I tell them it’s my birthday. It’s my kid’s birthday. And sometimes I tell them I’m on deployment, and I need money to eat,” he said. “It’s a red flag when anyone is asking for money on any dating sites, it’s a red flag. It’s a red flag.”

Chris said he found his victims on Facebook, so it’s not always dating sites that lead to romance or confidence scams.

Chris said he wants to pay his victims back, but also explained the hardship he and so many others are facing in Nigeria. He said that’s why there’s a motivation to engage in romance scams.

The Federal Bureau of Investigation (FBI) reports that in 2022, victims lost more than $700 million in romance and confidence scams.

Below are some tips from the FBI:

• Research your love interest’s photo and online profile
• As a lot of questions to make sure their story checks out
• Never send money to someone you haven’t met in-person

Officials also say to beware of video calls. Some scammers have used methods that include stealing video clips or paying for video clips from people online.

Alert 7News On Your Side about scams — Contact Call For Action here.

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