The Wellington County OPP are cautioning residents to be extra vigilant when entering into a relationship online.
With Valentine’s Day just a few weeks away and people self-isolating at home due to the Covid-19 pandemic, police are reminding those that are looking for love online to be extra wary of potential romance scams.
Falling in love is a beautiful thing. Falling victim is not.
According to stats collected by the Canadian Anti Fraud Centre, last year 899 complaints were received related to romance scams which included 620 victims who lost over 18.5 million dollars to scammers pretending to be in love.
Romance scam involves an individual with false romantic intentions toward a victim in order to gain their trust and affection for the purpose of obtaining the victim’s money or access to their bank accounts or credit cards. Scammers steal photos and use dating sites and social media to lure potential victims into sending money for various reasons.
The scammer will gain the trust of the victim through displays of affection and will communicate via phone, skype and email for months, if necessary to build trust.
The scammer usually requests money to visit the victim, usually to pay for a visa and airfare, but then suddenly runs into other unexpected difficulties. The closer the date appears to be getting to the victim, more unexpected events occur and more money is requested by the scammer to cover the costs.
Scammer’s may also claim that there is a medical emergency with a sick family member. They will then ask for money to cover the medical expenses.
The scammer could tell you about a large amount of money or gold they need to transfer out of their country, and offer you a share of it. They will tell you they need your money to cover administrative fees or taxes.
The scammer will play on emotional triggers to get you to provide money.
How to Protect Yourself?
· Be suspicious when someone you have never met in person professes their love to you
· If trying to set up an in-person meeting, be suspicious if they always have an excuse not to meet
· Do not share personal or financial information with anyone you have just met online or in person
· Be cautious when conversing with an individual that claims to live close to you but is working overseas
· Never under any circumstance send money for any reason
· If you have transferred money, stop the transaction if possible!
Always remember, if it sounds too good to be true, it probably is.
Recognize it! Reject it! Report it!
