Online dating scams are on the rise and we have seen first hand the troubles it can bring someone. It is the perfect place for a scammer to steal money, identities or personal information. It is almost impossible for the scammers to get caught as a lot of them are not even in the same country as their victims. The scammers will more often than not get money or information out of you without even you realizing it. This is because they do not ask directly for credit cards or cash.
We have seen both males and females become victims to online dating scams. There is no set demographic. The majority of these scammers will try and get money from you. They are not going to immediately ask for money. They will often play the scam out over several months. This will build “trust” in your online relationship. The scammers that we have investigated all had a prestigious job or sob story. A medical doctor volunteering in Afghanistan or a wounded solider trying to make it back home to their children. They do this to play on your emotional vulnerabilities.
Once they have gained your trust they may ask for small things at first nothing of significance, but something to give you assurance the relationship is real. Things that make you feel that they can trust you. They may even send small gifts at first to build the relationship up. Then they may ask you for a favor. This may come in the form of sending you a package from a different country. The package will end up being held in customs and they will ask you to pay the customs fee to have the package released to you. In the end you will find out there is no package and the person you sent money to wasn’t customs at all. They may also need money to get a plane ticket home or to pay for medical expenses. What ever their scam is be wary, it is hard to see the scam when you are blinded by love.
What ever their scam is be wary, it is hard to see the scam when you are blinded by love. If it sounds too good to be true it most likely is. Get an outsiders perspective and hire a private investigator to vet the individual, it may save you money in the long run.
