How do you outsmart a romance scammer? The short answer is, you don’t. But that doesn’t mean you have to be a victim. Look, it’s February, and Valentine’s Day is just around the corner. That means love is in the air. And everyone wants to find their perfect match. Even the scammers. Although their perfect match is the person who falls for their scam, not their charms. So while you might not outsmart a romance scammer, you can defend yourself and avoid becoming their victim.
Tip 1: Social media sites are their playground
Let’s face it. It doesn’t take much to set up a profile on social media. Use a fake name and an email address and you’re good to go. Make up some juicy details and use a ‘borrowed’ photo and voila, you’re a ‘real’ person. All you need now are some friends. And how hard is it to get those? The bottom line is that it pays to be very cautious when meeting people in a social media setting. If you’re looking for love, stick to the reputable dating apps.
Tip 2: Beware the scammy resources
I recently received an email from a public relations group that sends out information on scams. The email warned of a surge in romance scams. No surprise there, given that in 2020 scammers stole more than $281 million from their victims. And, ladies, take note. The FBI says most of those victims were women. As part of the email from this PR firm, they cited an article on SocialCatfish.com. One service this company provides is an image search, similar to the image searches you can do on Google. When I checked out the company, I discovered they have only a B rating with the Better Business Bureau and that their average customer rating is 2.43 out of 5.
Tip 3: Keep your money and information and dump the frog
If your new love is a scammer, eventually he’ll hit you up for money or for your personal information. Those are clear warning signs you’re dealing with a scammer. As the old saying goes, you have to kiss a lot of frogs to get to the prince. But in this case, you don’t even need to kiss him. Just walk away.
Tip 4: Help stop scams by reporting it
If you become a victim of a romance scam (or even a different type), report what’s happened to the FBI’s Internet Crime Complaint Center (IC3) at www.ic3.gov. You should also lock down your credit by contacting the credit bureaus and your financial institutions.
If you have a suggestion for a future scam tip or would like to share your experience with a scammer, leave a comment. I’d love to hear from you. Want to hear a personal story from a private investigator who nearly became a victim of a romance scam? Check out Elizabeth Breck’s story here.
