Romance Scam Artists: They Steal Your Heart and Money

It’s happening all the time and is still a major problem and concern. People looking online for friendships, romance, love and marriage wind up getting their emotions abused, their hearts broken and their bank accounts drained. That’s the whole point of an online-problem known as an online romance scam —to gain someone’s affection for the sole purpose of taking their money. There’s no love and no conscience or feelings. Just swindling. And it’s easy to see why it happens. Virtually every human being desires companionship and attention, especially if we’re not getting it at the moment, haven’t been involved with someone in a long time, or are recovering from a breakup. Today, online dating and social media websites offer quick and easy ways to meet someone. And that’s what people are doing in record numbers. Statistics show that 59% of Internet users feel that online dating is a good way to meet people…and that’s up from 44% in 2005. But along with that number is this: Almost 55% of that group believe they’ve seen fake personal profiles and more than a quarter of them have had online interactions that creeped them out. The classic Internet romance scammer plays on your emotions—your need for a romantic friend—to lure you in. They don’t use their real names or actual pictures. They make up a name, or steal the likeness of someone else…someone you might feel safe about, such as a soldier, social aid worker, or a professional working abroad. Scammers go to great lengths to win you over and gain your trust and affection, just as a sincere romantic interest would do to win your heart. The lying Lothario will charm you with sweet words, pledges of affection, and may even send gifts to you. They’re often not in the same city as you are, which means actually meeting them will always have to wait. If they earn your trust, they might talk you into sending pictures or videos of yourself, possibly of an intimate nature. But for sure, they will eventually get around to you asking for money or financial help. It could be for a supposed medical emergency, or to help them get their business out of trouble. There are endless, tall tales, all semi-plausible, that they could offer up to you. And if you’ve become emotionally attached to the person, you might give in. Thousands of people do. Or maybe you won’t. But if you decline to send money, they might remind you of those half-naked pictures and videos you sent them, and they’ll ask for hush-money to keep them private. And the charade is over. Do not think this is all an exaggeration. It’s a fact—women have given tens of thousands of dollars to men who seemed deserving of it…but weren’t. At what point does a sweetheart you met online turn into a possible romantic scam artist? Here’s what the experts say you need to look out for after you’ve started to develop a relationship. Just remember to let your head do the critical thinking here, and not your heart. To protect your heart and finances, learn these guidelines that anti-scam experts offer up: This advice isn’t just for you: It is also for the friends and family that you care about most, especially those who are looking for relationships online and who maybe be more susceptible to being deceived. This also isn’t about avoiding online dating and relationships. These warnings are meant to help ensure you’re not one of the thousands of people that really do get scammed by people pretending to be good-hearted and a good catch. If you want to be sure, there are services such as socialcatfish.com for people who think they are being catfished. The service can do some investigating and determine the validity of a person’s social media profiles.