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Jack M Germain
Cybersecurity awareness is not just a necessity for businesses and internet-facing organisations.
Consumers, especially lonely hearts experiencing life’s so-called golden years, are prime targets for romance scams and fraud assaults.
Research shows that romance scams are at an all-time high. Even younger folks who share too much about their affairs of the heart on dating sites and social media could become ripe targets for love scams and fraud.
Romance scams can be described as situations in which a criminal adopts a fake online identity to gain a victim’s affection and trust.
The scammer then uses the illusion of a romantic or close relationship to manipulate and/or steal from the victim. Romance scammers are experts at seeming to be genuine, caring, and believable.
These con artists lurk on most dating and social media sites. They are eager to take advantage of the lonely who now fill cyberspace.
Seeking romantic bliss online can have a major financial downside.
Some people looking for romance online put themselves in easy reach of cyber-romance thieves.
Targeting Seniors
Social media is prime hunting grounds for romance fraudsters. Phony suitors in growing numbers reach out to potential victims they spot on Facebook or Instagram.
Another danger with romance scams is that they can lead the victim into potentially criminal actions as well. International criminal gangs use dating sites to recruit unwitting “money mules” to launder ill-gotten funds through their bank accounts or other means.
All age groups are struggling with impersonator scams on dating sites or other social media platforms.
Building relationships online is a convenient way to stay connected. Perhaps the best takeaway from the data is to keep your heart open but your wallet closed at least until you meet your newfound flame in person.
Romance scam warnings signs: What to look out for
Regardless of platform or app – Facebook catfish scams, Instagram dating scams, Plenty of Fish scams, Snapchat meetup scams, and so on – warning signs of online dating scams include:
They try to move you off the dating app or site quickly:
This is because online dating apps often have customer care teams who monitor strange behaviour. If they notice a user sending the same message to numerous users, or other unusual activity, they may flag it as suspicious.
To avoid this, scammers try to move you to another platform such as WhatsApp or similar. They may use excuses like “My membership is about to expire”, “I don’t like logging in here every day”, or “It’s easier to chat on WhatsApp than here”.
The discussion turns romantic very quickly.
A common trend in romance scams is for the imposter to get very serious very quickly. They may bombard you with extravagant compliments and claim to be falling in love with you. Perhaps they claim to have a special bond with you or tell you that you are their soulmate and that they have never felt this way about anyone before. Victims usually report that this shift occurs early on.
The scammer asks you a lot of questions about yourself.
This is because the more they know about you, the easier you will be to manipulate. The scammer will spin a tale about him or herself as well and may invite you to start talking over the phone. This stage can last for weeks, even months.
Their story is inconsistent.
If someone is telling untruths, it can be easy to forget what they have said before. Also, scammers sometimes operate in teams, with different people hiding behind one identity. So, if the person you are talking to seems inconsistent, be suspicious. If parts of their story do not match what they previously said, that could indicate they are lying.
Their profile photo looks like a model.
Romance scams use attractive profile pictures to keep the victim hooked. Often, these are pictures of actors or models or perhaps even a stock image. If a profile picture looks too good to be true, it is simple to check if the image is real. A reverse image search will show if their profile picture has been used anywhere else on the internet.
They do not have a digital footprint.
While some people do not use social media and try to minimise the amount of personal information about them on the internet, it can be suspicious if you cannot find any trace of a person online.
They use borrowed text.
Scammers often do not bother writing their profile text or messages but instead copy them from other websites or dating profiles. To check, you can run suspicious text through an online search to see if any matches come up. If they do, do not message back or respond. They will not Skype or video call you or meet in person. – ecommercetimes.com/kaspersky.com
They always find a reason why they cannot do this. People who are scammed generally report that the other person made constant excuses to avoid going on camera.
The obvious reason is that they do not look like the person in their profile picture. They also want to avoid being identified to prevent being tracked down afterwards.
Their life sounds like a soap opera.
A common theme in romance scams is for the imposters to create elaborate stories involving illness, family tragedies, or major accidents that generate sympathy and help to postpone a face-to-face meeting. If your potential date has a life story that seems unbelievable, it could be a scam.
They live far away.
Fraudsters try to cultivate long-distance relationships because it means they have an excuse not to meet their target. This gives them time to groom their victim and obtain their trust. The stories they tell will include a reason that makes it challenging to meet in person. Or else they arrange to meet up with their target, only to cancel at the last moment.
They ask you for money.
And, of course, the ultimate sign that you are talking to a dating scammer is when they ask you for money. All the grooming and manipulation – which may take weeks or months – is leading up to a request for money. They may give various reasons but, needless to say, your answer should be no.
Tips for Avoiding Romance Scams
To avoid being duped by swindlers who use the illusion of affection and trust to manipulate or steal from their victims. Remember:
- Scammers use details you share on social media and dating sites to better understand and target you;
- Go slowly and ask lots of questions;
- Use online searches to see if the person’s photo and profile have been used elsewhere;
- Beware if the individual quickly asks you to leave a dating service or social media site to communicate directly;
- Beware of attempts to isolate you from friends and family or requests to send inappropriate photos or financial information that could later be used to extort you;
Be suspicious of promises to meet in person that are always cancelled with various excuses. Never send money to anyone you have only communicated with online or by phone.- ecommercetimes.com/kaspersky.com
Online Reporter