SCAMS BULLETIN Host Jay White is a volunteer public service attorney in San Mateo County, California.

August 3, 2020

SWEETHEART SWINDLE SCAM

Online dating can be fun and convenient. But falling for a sweetheart swindle can be costly. Be wary of “friends” you meet online who develop a relationship with you only to con you out of hundreds or even thousands of dollars.

Falling in love with a con artist has consistently been ranked as one of, if not, the most expensive scams for the victims. The con artist may claim to be interested in the victim romantically. When the victim responds, their new “friend” may tell them a story about how they are located far away from the victim, often overseas.

As the relationship develops and false trust is built, the “friend” asks the victim to send money to help them out of some fake situation. They may claim that they need the money to visit the victim, for medical bills, to get out of jail, or some other phony reason. If the victim agrees to pay, there will inevitably be more requests for money to cover other fictitious expenses until the victim comes to realize it is a scam and stops paying, or worse, runs out of money.

How can you spot a romance scam and avoid falling victim?

Here are red flags that the person you are dealing with is after your cash, instead of your heart:

*They request that you wire money or to cash a check or money order for them.

*The “relationship” becomes romantic extremely quickly, with quick pronouncements of love or close friendship.

*They claim to be a U.S. citizen who is abroad, very wealthy, or a person of important status.

*They claim to be a contractor who needs your help with a business deal.

*They make excuses about not being able to speak by phone or meet in person.

*They quickly ask you to communicate via email, instant messaging, or text messaging instead of the online dating sites’ messaging services.

*They claim to be an American but make frequent spelling or grammar mistakes that a native English speaker would not.

If you have been approached by someone you think could be a romance scammer, or if you have already fallen victim, DON’T keep speaking with that person. Ignore their emails, phone calls, IMs, or other communications. Instead, use the online dating site’s abuse flagging system to mark the account as suspicious and file a complaint at www.Fraud.org.

ATTRIBUTION: Fraud.org

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