dyton mupawaenda
Emma Fletcher-Fraud Insight
Romance scammers tell all sorts of lies to steal your heart and money, and reports show those lies are working.
These scammers pay close attention to the information you share, and do not miss a beat becoming your perfect match. You like a thing, so that is their thing, too.
You are looking to settle down. They are ready too. But there is one exception – you want to meet in real life, and they cannot.
Reports show their excuse is often baked right into their fake identity.
Claiming to be on a faraway military base is the most popular excuse, but “offshore oil rig worker” is another common (and fake) occupation. In short, there is no end to the lies romance scammers will tell to get your money.
Reports show romance scammers often use dating apps to target people looking for love.
But reports of romance scams that start with unexpected private messages on social media platforms are even more common. In fact, 40 percent of people who said they lost money to a romance scam last year said the contact started on social media; 19 percent said it started on a website or app.
Many people reported that the scammer then quickly moved the sweet talk to WhatsApp, Google Chat, or Telegram.
You may have heard about romance scammers who tell you they are sick, hurt, or in jail – or give you another fake reason to send them money.
But did you know that many romance scammers operate by offering to do you a favour?
They may claim to be a successful cryptocurrency investor who will teach you how it is done. But any money you “invest” goes straight into their wallet.
In another twist, they may say they have shipped you a valuable package (not true), which requires you to send money for “customs” or some other made-up fee. It is all a lie. You send the money, and the package never turns up.
Reports also show that scammers who convince you to share explicit photos will then threaten to share them with your social media contacts.
It is called sextortion, and these reports have increased more than eightfold since 2019.
People aged 18-29 were over six times as likely to report sextortion than people 30 and over.
About 58 percent of 2022 sextortion reports identified social media as the contact method, with Instagram and Snapchat topping the list. The way romance scammers take your money is another important piece of the story.
People reported sending more money to romance scammers using cryptocurrency and bank wires than any other method: together, they accounted for more than 60 percent of reported losses to romance scams in 2022.
While not the costliest payment method, gift cards were the most frequently reported – 24 percent of people who reported losing money to a romance scam in 2022 said it was taken using gift cards. So how can you spot a romance scammer in the act?
Nobody legit will ever ask you to help—or insist that you invest— by sending money. Anyone who does is a scammer.
If someone tells you to send money to receive a package, you can bet it is a scam.
Talk to friends or family about a new love interest and pay attention if they are concerned.
Try a reverse image search of profile pictures. If the details do not match up, it is a scam.
Help stop scammers by reporting suspicious profiles or messages to the dating app or social media platform.
Then report to police.
If someone is trying to extort you, report it to police.
Of 2022 loss reports that identified social media as the contact method and named a specific platform, 29 percent named Instagram and 28 percent named Facebook.
About 40 percent of 2022 romance scam loss reports with detailed narratives mentioned WhatsApp, Google Chat, or Telegram.
Romance scam reports involving sextortion were identified using keyword analysis of the narratives provided in reports.
Of 2022 sextortion reports that identified social media as the contact method and named a specific platform, 41 percent named Instagram and 31 percent named Snapchat. –FTC
Online Reporter