Fbi internet dating scams

Dating or Defrauding? Protect Yourself Against Romance Scams With Help From the Government

You've heard the warnings about malicious links, fake e-mails, and the many ways fraudsters try and steal your money. Now, the FBI is focusing on romance scams because the schemers behind the screen are getting more sophisticated, organized crime rings are often behind it, and the popularity of dating apps has given criminals an easy in. Additionally, these scams not only rob people of their money but often leave people heartbroken, depressed and ashamed. CBS Philadelphia talked with a woman named Carina about her experience getting scammed. She said it all started when she fell for a career-oriented guy, named Evan, last year on a dating site. Carina, who is in her mids with a PhD in chemistry considered herself to be a workaholic and thought she had a lot in common with Evan and a deep connection.

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Love is in the air this Valentine's Day, and scammers are looking to prey on anyone looking for love online. From there, the scammer will often encourage the victim to move the conversation from the dating app or website to an encrypted messaging service, like WhatsApp or Signal. This way, the dating site can no longer track the conversation if the scammer gets reported. By exploiting the perceived "connection" with the victim, the scammer will then request large sums of money, gifts or funds for emotionally charged needs like emergency surgery. Sparke says that people who believe they've been a victim of a scam should report it to the Internet Crime Complaint Center ic3.

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The agency says hundreds of victims have been conned out of millions of dollars in the Bay Area, and the scams often start with what seems like a harmless online love connection. They practice and they have scripts that they use on their victims. Agents say scammers make a connection with someone on social media. After gaining their trust over weeks and months, they ask them to send money for an investment. Then they disappear. The bad actors will sometimes ask for cryptocurrency because it's largely untraceable or ask for the money to be sent internationally.

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FBI: Watch Out for Romance Scams Online

Officials say criminals prey on people who are seeking companionship through online dating. If you connect with someone online, experts want you to remember to think twice before sharing personal information and never send money to anyone you've only communicated with online or by phone. They also suggest you take things slow and ask a lot of questions. One big red flag: if someone promises to meet in person, and always finds an excuse to postpone it. String of Ring doorbell thefts under investigation in Delco.

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