It’s February and love is in the air! But if your new boo is someone you met online, he or she could be a scammer… especially if you haven’t yet met in person. BBB Serving Western VA is warning those looking for love online to be wary, especially around Valentine’s Day, when it may be tempting to let your guard down for a fairy tale romance.
As The Beatles sang, “all you need is love”… and apparently some money to prove it. At least, that’s what a relationship scammer will make you believe. Here’s how it works: Relationship scams most often begin on either a dating site or through social media and can progress quickly. You email, trade photos, and might even talk on the phone. Before you know it you believe you’ve found true love.
Then, unfortunately, comes the request to break the bank… and your heart at the same time.
Your new love asks you to wire them money. It may not be a large amount at first, but the requests keep coming. Perhaps they say “I got robbed” or “I need surgery” or simply “I need airfare to finally meet you sweetheart!” You send the money, but the only traveling that occurs is your love sent packing. They disappear along with your money and any hopes for a real relationship.
Seniors are often a target of romance scams as they may be lonely after a spouse has passed and are looking for companionship. Their retirement savings also make an attractive target along with a common unfamiliarity with social media and the internet.
Awareness and education are the best line of defense against fraud, and consumers can protect themselves by applying common sense and not letting emotion get in the way. Anyone can fall victim. Fraudsters even coach potential victims to ignore warnings such as this! To avoid losing money to scammers, you should:
Always:
- Stop and think – if it sounds too good to be true, it probably is.
- Be 100% sure you know who you are sending money to and never send money to a stranger. If you’ve never met the individual in person there’s a chance they aren’t who you think they are.
- Be suspicious of someone who asks you to send money for an emergency by wire, prepaid money card, or gift card.
- Be suspicious of any stranger that randomly adds or friend requests you on social media. Check their profile to see if they have an active account and ask them how they know you.
Never:
- Send money to someone you haven’t met in person.
- Provide banking information to people or businesses you don’t know.
- Send money for an emergency situation without confirming that it’s a real emergency.
- Send funds from a check you deposited into your account until it officially clears (which can take a week or more).
Many dating websites have set up settings and options to help keep your identity secure, but in the end it’s up to the customer to use caution and common sense.
Safety Tips for using an online dating site:
Be careful about sharing other personal information, such as your full name, phone number, email and address. You are in control of your online dating experience at all times – remain anonymous until you feel ready. Take advantage of a website’s technology that can protect your identity until you decide to reveal it through email or IM. Many sites will require several steps be taken before someone can directly communicate with a potential match. Also, leave any personal contact information out of your profile or username.
Use extra caution when accessing your account from a public or shared computer so that others are not able to view or record your password or other personal information. If you share your computer with others, disable the auto sign-in feature to your account and clear all saved passwords.
If personal details provided by another person don’t seem to add up, they behave suspiciously or pressure you for personal or financial information – block communications with that person and report them to the dating site immediately.
For more information:
- Check out BBB Tips on Romance Scams.
- Learn more about scams at bbb.org/scam.
- Report scams to BBB Scam Tracker (bbb.org/scamtracker.)
- Check out bbb.org to look up a business, file a complaint, write a customer review, report a scam, read tips, follow us on social media, and more!