Romance Scam Alert: Experts Warn of Valentine’s Day Schemes
As Valentine’s Day approaches, scammers are gearing up to wreak havoc on vulnerable individuals seeking love. The surge in online romance scams is a cause for concern, and experts are urging caution in the pursuit of romantic connections.
What is a Romance Scam?
A romance scam involves a criminal fabricating a false identity on popular dating platforms such as Tinder, WhatsApp, or Facebook to entice victims into a web of deceit and manipulation. Whether it’s through a dating app or in seemingly natural romantic encounters, scammers exploit their victims’ emotions to swindle them.
How Does the Scam Work?
Typically, a romance scammer will initiate contact with a potential victim and strive to establish a close relationship swiftly. Eventually, the scammer will request money, often through cash or digital payment apps like Zelle or Venmo. In other instances, victims may be coerced into divulging sensitive banking information or making online purchases.
According to legal expert Ben Michael, the most vulnerable targets for romance scams are the elderly or individuals recently divorced or widowed. Exploiting emotional vulnerability is a common tactic employed by scammers to perpetrate their fraudulent activities. In a bid to avoid face-to-face encounters, scammers might claim to be involved in professions that necessitate travel or overseas assignments.
Red Flags
To evade falling prey to romance scams, it’s crucial to be mindful of warning indicators. One of the most telltale signs is when someone requests financial assistance without having met in person. Likewise, individuals proclaiming that meeting was a matter of fate or destiny or fabricating sudden personal crises should raise suspicion.
Experts also advise vigilance against “love bombing,” an excessive display of affection before truly getting to know someone, which may signal ulterior motives. Furthermore, abrupt disappearances and reappearances under different aliases on dating sites are clear red flags of potential scams.
How to Stay Safe
To shield oneself from the perils of romance scams, experts emphasize certain precautions. Never part with money or make financial decisions solely based on interactions with individuals met online. Refrain from disclosing your financial status or sensitive information to unverified parties, and avoid sharing banking details or Social Security Numbers, whether online or in person.
If an online investment or trading platform advertises unrealistic profits, it likely spells trouble. Lastly, exercise caution when encountering individuals who present exclusive investment opportunities and exert undue pressure to act promptly.