What is a romance scam?
According to the FBI, a romance scam works like this: A scammer impersonates a romantic partner through social media, phone, email, or another method, and tries to lure their victims into thinking they’re in love. They typically create fake profiles and target singles seeking relationships. The scammer usually requests money, whether in the form of a wire transfer, gift cards, iTunes, or other credit card transfer, or the purchase of a plane ticket.
More often than not, the scammer disappears after the relationship is over. Victims who try to reach out to the scammer to retrieve money usually find out they’ve been duped after giving the scammer personal information or breaking off communication.
The warning signs of a romance scam
Men and women worldwide are falling for the tricks and frauds of these criminals. The type of scammer is very diverse and they are actively grooming their victims, especially those who want to start a family. These scammers are masterminds who will go to great lengths to destroy the life of their victims. Victims often suffer a great deal of stress and trauma after falling into this scam. The emotional abuse that women suffer after falling for the traps of romance scamming is often worse than the financial stress. The man or woman who looks like they are in love but is nothing more than a sex addict/scammer.
The psychological mind of these Internet scammers is astounding. Some romance fraudsters even set up fake Facebook profiles to lure their victims.
How to avoid becoming a victim
When it comes to romance scams, you need to learn how to spot a phony. If you are one of the millions who are being scammed, then you know that there are many fake profiles on dating sites. If you happen to find a profile that fits the profile for a “good,” legitimate woman, don’t be fooled. If this guy is even remotely interested in you, he will be asking for money.
The most common scams that cost money happen when the scammer approaches a potential victim online and then uses several methods to deceive them. Sometimes they tell a victim that they are on a business trip overseas and will get back with them soon, asking them to send money to a hotel.
Conclusion
Aside from online dating scams, there are many other social media scams that affect young and old alike. Always be cautious when you are asked to send money.