Dating apps can help find half the orange, but also break the heart and empty the bank account of victims of “romantic fraudsters”, the FBI warned this Friday (11), on the eve of Valentine’s Day, when in many countries Valentine’s Day is celebrated.
“Romantic fraudsters are liars and thieves, but they are also masters of their craft,” said Wayne A. Jacobs, special agent in charge of the Criminal Division of the Federal Bureau of Investigation (FBI), the US federal police, in Washington in a statement.
In so-called romantic or trust scams, the criminal creates fake profiles on dating sites or social networks to trick victims into believing they have a relationship with them.
As soon as they win their love and trust, they make up stories of financial difficulties to convince them to send them money or funds by check, bank transfer or postal transaction, so that they can resend or transfer the funds to a third party they supposedly owe them.
“Victims may feel embarrassed” but it is important that they contact the FBI “if they suspect their online admirer is a fraudster so we can help bring them to justice before their heart breaks and ( wipe) someone else’s bank account,” the agent added.
The FBI’s Internet Crime Complaints Center received more than 23,000 reports of this type of scam in 2020.
In some, the financial risk to victims seems less obvious. Fraudsters ask them to resend certain packages with which they incur expenses – such as bank fees – and expose themselves to fines or even judgment.
Scammers have a predilection for widows, divorcees, elderly or disabled people over 40, but that doesn’t mean that people with this profile have to give up technological advances to find love. Just follow a series of recommendations.
Think twice about sharing personal information online, opt for popular dating apps, look up people’s profiles on the internet, beware of suitors who try to isolate themselves from family or friends or ask you to send photos or financial information “because they could then use them to extort,” recommends the FBI.
Nor should you send money to someone you’ve never met in person, and if you see elderly family members using new communication apps, “explain to them the warning signs and pitfalls.”
In the United States, victims of this type of scam say they lost 547 million dollars in 2021, according to information published this Thursday by the Federal Trade Commission (FTC).
The latest data shows that in 2021 this type of loss increased by nearly 80% compared to 2020, and total reported losses over the past five years reached $1.3 billion, the FTC added.
– The Cryptocurrency Scam –
These scammers lure victims with images stolen from the internet and fake profiles that are heavily studied to make them credible, but they always find some reason not to meet them in person.
On average, victims lose $2,400, according to the FTC.
Lately, a new trend has emerged: fake cryptocurrency investment schemes.
Consumers who paid romantic fraudsters in cryptocurrencies reported losing $139 million in 2021, an average of nearly $10,000 per person.
But in general, fraudsters ask for payments on gift cards (about a quarter of cases reported in 2021 in the United States).
The Digital Market Outlook, from Statista, a company specializing in market and consumption data, estimates that the market for online dating services will have reached 370 million active users worldwide by the end of 2021, with the United States is the country with the largest number of subscribers (about 49 million people).
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