People really do find love on the internet. If it hasn’t happened to us, we may know a happy couple whose real-life coupledom began with a cyber romance. Real relationships can sometimes become rocky and turn sour, but too many are fake from the start. Romance scams are a growing problem, and services like Scam Survivor can help you get your funds back if you have been a target.
The FBI has released a warning about romance scams. As people spend more time on the internet, it is easy to get a bit too familiar with complete strangers and only realizing the mistake when it is too late. Many victims of romance scams are people who initially felt they were too sophisticated to fall for such schemes, but sentiment has a way of instantly causing people to lose their heart … and their money.
How Romance Scams Work
Romance scams take different forms, but most follow a familiar pattern. Someone may try to chat you up, which happens even in legitimate situations, but the difference is they will sound like advertisements for themselves. They may be charming and quick to highlight their advantages.
These dashing types may show you a photograph of their mansion, their fancy car, their muscular pecs or they may look like a perfect model in a bikini. Some operators are more subtle than this, but even apparently the low-key ones will be ingratiating because they want something from their prey, meaning money.
Romance scam artists will want to get to know you fast. They say things they think everyone wants to hear, such as “I have never felt so close to anyone” or “You are exactly the person I have been waiting for.” These scammers will talk up their credentials, but because of some catastrophe beyond their control, they lost money. Or they do have money tied up somewhere and they can’t get to it and they need something for now.
Romance scam artists may play the long game or act quickly, but the request for money is a hallmark sign that it is all a fraud. There may not be any open mention of money, but they will ask all kinds of questions and can get your data and steal in an underhanded way.
Some romance scammers work through requests for money they don’t pay back, identity theft, or blackmail. If you meet someone online, here are some things to watch out for:
- If the person wants to move too fast, yet cancels real-life meetings
- Sends lots of photos but turns down a video call
- Encourages the other person to send explicit photos or engage in sexting (this can be used for blackmail later)
- Asks for a lot of personal information
- Has a sudden financial calamity and needs money
- Seems perfect
- Tells conflicting stories about themselves
Don’t Let Romance Scam Artists Get Away With It–Do This!
Many people let romance scam artists get away with their fraud because they are embarrassed. They may feel they aren’t the type of people to fall for these scams or they might have actually had feelings for the false identity this person projected.
Romance scams are some of the most insidious types of phishing because they encourage people to let their guard down through fake emotional intimacy. In some cases, a person may be afraid of confronting a perpetrator of romance scams because they are worried they will be blackmailed over explicit photos or sexts. A romance scam is like an abusive relationship that never was.
Don’t try to deal with a romance scam artist alone. Professionals at Scam Survivor will counsel you and provide expert services that can unmask the fraudulent party and return your funds. Your heart may be broken, but your bank account may be salvaged.
Consult with Scam Survivor experts today to get your money back from a romance Scam.