BBB Says Make Sure You Have The Right Valentine

According to one internet security expert, an estimated 25,000 fraudsters are online with victims at any given moment. The scam is so common that one company that screens 3.5 million profiles a month found 500,000 to be fraudulent.

BBB Serving Western Virginia is no stranger to this type of scam. Several residents within western Virginia have reported being victimized by fraudsters on dating websites. In fact, in three years of BBB Scam Tracker data in western Virginia, scammers have attempted to steal $250,000, and successfully nabbed $156,000 in online romance scams. This is just from those who have reported the crime to BBB; many are too embarrassed to report their losses.

How does this scam work? The crooks post profiles on dating sites and social media, pretending to be someone looking for a relationship. These profiles are carefully designed to make it look like the person is solid and responsible. They typically claim a strong religious faith, and often claim to be widowed with a minor child. They may claim to be in the US military or involved in an international business. These explanations provide plausible reasons for not being able to meet in person.

Next, the fraudsters contact victims, and quickly move them off of the dating sites to communicate through emails and text messages. They use scripted sets of emails that may develop into a relationship over many months. Victims often get text messages daily as the fraud progresses, offering love and companionship. At times the fraudsters even send flowers or small gifts. They also try to isolate victims from friends or family that might alert them that they are involved with a fraud.

Eventually the scammer will ask for money for a medical or business emergency, or for plane fare to travel and meet in person. Those who send money will be asked for more and more. Losses can be in the tens of thousands. Those who eventually realize that they are fraud victims and confront the scammer are often told that it started as a scam but that the fraudster really did fall in love. This can allow the fraud to continue.

Those victims that have no money, or have sent all they have, are at times recruited to launder money or assist unknowingly in helping with other frauds, such as sending counterfeit checks or receiving and reshipping electronic goods purchased with stolen credit cards. Or they may have an accomplice contact the victim, claiming that they can help them get their money back – for a fee.

BBB is urging everyone to help stop this widespread scam.  Attached is the BBB Online Romance Scams Study in its entirety. Share the signs of this fraud with friends, relatives, and neighbors.  Encourage people not to wire money to strangers and if they are a victim of fraud … report it. You can report this, and any other scam, to BBB’s Scam tracker at bbb.org/ScamTracker.

There is a way for some victims to get at least some of their money back. The Justice Department and FTC have settled a case with Western Union resulting in a fund of $586 million for victims of romance or any other fraud.  The deadline for filing claims is May 31. Victims don’t necessarily need their receipts from Western Union to get their money back.  Go to FTC.gov for more information.

Tips to Spot This Scam:

Too hot to be true. Scammers offer up good-looking photos and tales of financial success. Be honest with yourself about who would be genuinely interested. If they seem “too perfect,” your alarm bells should ring.

In a hurry to get off the site. Catfishers will try very quickly to get you to move to communicating through email, messenger, or phone.

Moving fast. They will begin speaking of a future together and tell you they love you quickly. They often say they’ve never felt this way before.

Talk about trust. They will start manipulating you by professing how important trust is in a relationship. This will often be a first step to asking for money.

Don’t want to meet. Be wary of someone who always has an excuse to postpone meeting because they say they are traveling or live overseas or are in the military.

Suspect language. If the person you are communicating with claims to be from your home town but has poor spelling or grammar, uses overly flowery language, or uses phrases that don’t make sense, that’s a red flag.

Hard luck stories. Before moving on to asking you for money, the scammer may hint at financial troubles like heat being cut off or a stolen car or a sick relative, or they may share a sad story from their past (death of parents or spouse, etc.).

Protect Yourself From this Scam:

• Never send money or personal information that can be used for identity theft to someone you’ve never met in person. Never give someone your credit card information to book a ticket to visit you. Cut off contact if someone starts asking you for information like credit card, bank, or government ID numbers.
• Ask specific questions about details given in a profile. A scammer may stumble over remembering details or making a story fit.
• Do your research. Many scammers steal photos from the web to use in their profiles. You can do a reverse image lookup using a website like tineye.com or images.google.com to see if the photos on a profile are stolen from somewhere else. You can also search online for a profile name, email, or phone number to see what adds up and what doesn’t.