Internet Dating and Romance Scams

February may be the month of love, but for some people it is the month of romance scams. Americans reported losing a heartbreaking $1.3 billion to romance scams between 2017 and 2021, according to the Federal Trade Commission, and the number is likely higher due to underreporting. 

What is a Romance Scam? 

Online dating scams, romance scams and sweetheart scams are all terms that refer to the same basic concept: a bad actor creates a fake online profile, hits the open web, and stirs up romantic feelings in victims. After some not-so-innocent flirting, eventually the scammer asks for money. 

Look for the Red Flags

The goal of romance scammers is to be as convincing as possible, but many of them follow the same playbook. This means that there are some red flags you should always be aware of when searching for your soulmate online. 

• The person requests money for urgent situations, such as medical expenses
• Requests for money are usually in forms of payment that are hard to track, such as pre-loaded gift cards
• The person claims to live far away, often in a foreign country
• Scammers may claim to be serving overseas in the military
• The online relationship seems to move very fast
• Promises to meet in person are not fulfilled

Take Action if You’re a Target

If you believe you are being targeted by a romance scam, take these actions:

• Stop communicating with the scammer immediately
• Take screenshots of any scammer information such as email address and other contact information
• File a report with the local police department
• Report the scam to the FTC and the FBI
• Alert the website, platform, or app where you met the scammer. They may have more information about the scammer that can help investigators.

Protect Yourself From Romance Scams

By adopting these cybersecurity habits, you can limit what scammers can learn about you:

• Share with care: Think before posting personal information on social media and online dating sites. Consider what a post reveals about you and who can see it. Never share personal information via email or text, especially if you do not know the sender.
• Check your settings: Consider setting your social media profile to “private.” This will make it harder for scammers to target you.
• Think before you click: Be wary of urgent messages asking you to take action by providing payment or personal information.
• Use reverse image search: Do a reverse image search of the account’s profile picture. You may see that image belongs to a completely different person or has been affiliated with different online identities.  

Romance scammers are masters of disguise and play on their victim’s emotions to get them to open their wallets. With some knowledge, ensure love is in the air…not fraud! 

Page last updated 8:43 AM, January 30, 2024