Although the possibility of a new online romance can be exciting, you should constantly ask yourself a question: Is the person you’re romantically talking to who they say they are? When you meet the perfect person you can share your experiences with online, it can be the ideal opportunity for scammers to try their tricks to get your money or personal information. What are these tricks? In this article, we’ll tell you about the different online scam tactics, as well as what to do if you’ve fallen for a romance scam.
What is love fraud?
Romance scams, or love frauds, occur when a person uses a fake profile on an online dating service or social network to lure another person in order to gain access to personal information or money.
How to identify a romance scam?
Romantic scammers tailor their tactics to what they think will be effective:
They quickly declare their love for you. Romantic scammers quickly “fall in love” and try to express it to you to try to control your emotions and manipulate you easily.
They claim they can’t meet you in person. Scammers will always have an excuse to try and not to meet you in person. For example, they may claim that they are living in another country or that they are traveling.
They will try to get your money. Once they have your trust, they will ask you for help paying for their expenses and tell you how to transfer money to them.
Their online profiles don’t contain much information. Scammer profiles lack personal information or don’t even contain many photos. Many times, they use pictures of other people and assume their identity.
How can you avoid falling for a romance scam?
What to do:
- Do a reverse image search of their profile pictures
- Arrange a video call to confirm the person’s identity.
- Always keep in mind that online, a person can assume any identity they want.
What not to do:
- Don’t divulge too much personal information.
- Never send them money.
- Never give them access to your bank accounts.
- Never transfer money in their name.
Do you think you have fallen into the fraud of love?
- Report their profile.
- Stop talking to the person immediately.
- Contact your bank if you made any payment or transfer to the scammer.
- Notify the appropriate authorities.
Remember that love fraud is not the only type of online scam. Visit smarter101.com and learn about other fraud techniques.
