Cupid’s Revenge
Love is in the air! Spring is starting to come back and the time is ripe for finding love and companionship. You just want to make sure you partner with the right person. Don’t get tangled up with a bad actor who’s only in for personal or financial gain, rather than true love. Romance scams abound during this time. Here are few PopCykol Tips to help you stay safe online from scammers and predators:
What is a Romance Scam?
Romance scams are also called sweetheart scams, which refer to scams involving online dating. A bad actor creates a fake online profile, fires up the charm, and attempts to stir up romantic feelings in potential victims. After some flirtation, the scammer asks for money.
Pay attention to red flags
Romance scammers try to be as convincing as possible, which can include using artificial intelligence-powered deepfake video or audio technology, like vishing. Cybercriminals follow a similar modus operandi on each victim. Look out for red flags when looking for love:
The person requests money for urgent matters, such as medical expenses or a plane ticket to see you. Never send money to someone you haven’t met in person.
The person requests hard-to-track forms of payment, like pre-loaded gift cards.
The person claims to live far away from you, often in a foreign country. They might also say they are in the military and serving overseas.
The person breaks promises to see you in person.
The person wants to push the conversation from the dating app to other messaging platforms like WhatsApp, Signal, or Telegram.
The relationship feels like it is moving very fast.
Ditch the scammers
If you suspect you or a loved one are the victim of a romance scams, take action:
Immediately stop communicating with the scammer.
Note any identifiable information you may received from them, such as their email address or phone number. Take screenshots and write down any contact information.
Contact your bank or credit card company if you’ve been scammed out of money.
File a report with your local police department.
Alert the website, platform, or app where you met the scammer. They might have more information on the scammer that can help investigators.
Learn more about romance scams by reading our PopCykol Tip about Catfishing.
