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SCAMS BULLETIN Host Jay White is an inactive attorney in San Mateo County, California.

January 17, 2022

LGBTQ+ COMMUNITY SCAMMED

Courtesy US FTC.gov

The LGBTQ+ community is among the latest to be targeted by online dating scammers.

But as the US Federal Trade Commission (FTC) recently reported, this is not a traditional “I love you; please send money” romance scam. It’s even meaner.

People who belong to these diverse gender groups are being tricked into sending photos and other details about themselves to the fakers who then blackmail them.

In some cases, the victims have not come “out” to others about their gender preferences; in others, the photos may be explicit or even altered by photo editing software. Either way, they’re ripe for an extortion scam.

The best way to avoid this type of scam — whether you’re LGBTQ+ or not — is to make sure you truly know who you’re talking to on dating sites. If they send you a photo, do a reverse image search to check their identity. (See Is It Genuine? Check That Photo with Reverse Image Search for how to do this.) Likewise, until you’ve confirmed their identity, don’t provide photos or personal details about yourself.

And finally, don’t pay a blackmail demand. The crooks will just keep coming back for more. Tell the police. You can also call the Cyber Civil Rights Initiative for help and advice at 844-878-2274.

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