Posted on Wednesday, February 19, 2025

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by AMAC, D.J. Wilson

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Romance scams are on the rise – what you need to know to stay protected.

What are romance scams?

Romance scams are those involving romantic schemes, unscrupulous people, and victims. In these types of scams, criminals seek to establish emotional connections with innocent victims for the purpose of stealing money, property, or identities. These scammers pretend to care about their victims – when in essence they lie and do not. There are ways to avoid being targeted.

How to identify a romance scam:

Everyone wants to be loved. So, people of all intellect can fall victim to romance scams. It’s not always easy to identify a romance scam, but sometimes there are red flags. These are some warning signs that show danger is present.

• Watch out for fake profiles: A scammer may create a personal profile using false images for the purpose of catfishing. This is a type of online scam involving someone using a fake identity to trick another person into a relationship. Scammers typically reach out to their victims via romantic connections and attempt to build trust. They misrepresent themselves as someone they are not for financial gain. They may use false photos and establish fake identities or use stolen ones.
• Avoid answering random messages: Romance scams may come in the form of unsolicited text messages. For example, scammers may send text messages pretending to be an old friend or claiming to have made accidental contact. They may attempt to reach potential victims online or via social media platforms – even using professional networking, dating, or messaging websites, per Investor.gov. These scammers seek to build trust through friendships and romance. Of course, these romances are artificial – because the scammers aren’t legitimate.
• Don’t be persuaded: Romance scammers may attempt to impersonate investment professionals or guide you toward a person “on the inside” who they say they know and trust. Some scammers will try to gain access to your financial information or steer you towards investments involving cryptocurrencies. Scammers seem convincing and may pull at their victim’s heart strings, pressure their victims, or threaten to abandon them if they do not listen. This can feel deeply emotional to someone being scammed.

Stop them from harming others

These are just a few examples of how romance scams operate. It’s clear that victims get easily caught up in the web of lies posed by their scammers. However, there are some wise ways to protect oneself from romance scammers. This includes some of the following:

1. Ignore messages from people you do not know. Not engaging in it is a great way to protect oneself. Do not worry about hurting their feelings as they are likely scammers.
2. Pay attention to signs of “long con.”  This is where scammers build trust over time. Scammers may say they live long distance and even make plans to meet their unsuspecting victims but suddenly cancel or not show – only to make excuses. It’s all part of the plan.
3. False promises are a sign. Romance scammers will lie to deceive their victims, expressing romantic thoughts that are staged or making promises they fully intend not to keep. Scammers will cross the line by asking for support or demanding money. If someone is communicating with you and asks you to send money – do not. If you suspect they are attempting to scam you, stop communications and report their actions to the FTC.
4. Embellished stories are another sign. Scammers often make up false extravagant stories that create dilemmas. For instance, they may say that they are on the verge of eviction, just got diagnosed with cancer or another illness, need money for a family member, beloved pet, or tax problem and so on… They seek to trick victims into feeling sympathetic and wiring money, sending cash, or obtaining gift cards or crypto to help. Don’t do it.

Say no to romance scams

In romance scams, abusers typically seek out nice people to take advantage of their vulnerability. Because romance scams are common, people should be smart about entering relationships involving romance and be wary of unsolicited contacts. Strive to keep personal financial information private and never share information with anyone who reaches out online, via social media platforms, or through text messages. If anyone you have never met, or perhaps only recently met, is asking or pressuring you to come to their rescue, think twice because it might be a romance scam.

If you’ve been scammed – here’s the next step

Report, report, report. Experiencing a broken heart and being taken advantage of are two terrible things that happen in romance scams. As you try to recover, the scammer is already on to his next victim. Reporting is the best way to stop romance scammers in their tracks. Romance scams involving the loss of money should be promptly reported to the FTC at ReportFraud.FTC.gov. A dropdown menu will allow victims to identify their complaint as a “Romance scam” and provide further details. If you lose money to a romance scammer, do your part by reporting it promptly to the local police as well as the FTC, so information can be documented and the situation investigated asap.