They steal your heart … to get your money

All crimes that seek to steal money or sensitive information through deception are loathsome. But perhaps the most pernicious involve crimes of the heart. Online romance fraud is rampant and growing, according to the Federal Trade Commission (FTC), and it isn’t only dating sites where these criminals lurk.

The con typically works something like this: You post a dating profile and up pops a promising match — good-looking, smart, funny and personable. Supposed suitors might also reach out on social media; more than a third of people who lost money to a romance scam in 2021 reported that it started on Facebook or Instagram, according to the FTC. 

They’ll use pictures of an attractive person, of course; check out Social Catfish’s  list of the top 100 photos used for catfishing (using a fake identity to lure someone into a romantic relationship) in 2022.
This potential mate claims to live in another part of the country or to be abroad for business or a military deployment. But he or she seems smitten and eager to get to know you better, and suggests you move your relationship to a private channel like email or a chat app.

Over weeks or months, you feel yourself growing closer. You make plans to meet in person, but for your new love something always comes up. Then you get an urgent request. There’s an emergency (a medical problem, perhaps, or a business crisis) and your online companion needs you to send money fast, usually via gift cards, prepaid debit cards, cryptocurrency, or a bank or wire transfer.

They'll promise to pay it back, but that will never happen. Instead, they will keep asking for more until you realize it's a scam and cut them off.

Here are some red flags that will help you spot a romance scam. The person might propose chatting offline or profess their feelings for you before getting to know you. They may offer to visit if you can help cover travel costs, then cancel those plans at the last minute.

Many victims don’t see the crime coming because they weren’t looking for love online to begin with and think “it just happened.” This is a common ploy for con artists. Know this: anytime a love interest or new friend whom you’ve never seen in person asks for money or invites you to invest in cryptocurrency, it’s most likely a scam.

Report scams to local law enforcement. For help from AARP, call 1-877-908-3360 or visit the AARP Fraud Watch Network at www.aarp.org/fraudwatchnetwork.

Learn more about romance scams and how to protect yourself here.

Be a fraud fighter!  If you can spot a scam, you can stop a scam.