Source: Federal Bureau of Investigation (FBI) State Crime News
SACRAMENTO—February is the month of love; unfortunately, not everyone who seems to be looking for love has good intentions. The Federal Bureau of Investigation (FBI) Sacramento Field Office is issuing an urgent warning: perpetrators are posing as perfect partners to ensnare heart and wallets. Their schemes are very sophisticated and have harvesting and personal information and savings.
The warning about these scams has never been more urgent. Confidence fraud and romance scams result in some of the most significant financial losses when compared to other Internet-facilitated crimes. In 2023 alone, 17,832 victims reported more than $650 million in losses. Sadly, this number is conservative. Many victims suffer in silence, too ashamed or afraid to come forward.
While finding love on dating sites or with remote partners with whom you’ve connected with through social networks or affinity groups online isn’t impossible, heartless perpetrators lurk within online communities and platforms, seeking hearts and finances to ensnare. If you think you won’t be targeted, think again; people of all ages and backgrounds can fall victim to a romance scam.
Romance and confidence scams start with seemingly innocent contact online and builds into a carefully orchestrated scheme. While the elements may vary to best ensnare the intended victim, thee scams often include the following elements:
- The person harvests information about you from your online presence to establish a quick and seemingly significant bond.
- The person showers you with attention and appears to have an unusually high number of common interests and similar background.
- Images are exchanged and video chats are conducted using images and content that are synthetic or gleaned from online sources.
The FBI urges the public to beware of some common red flags:
- You have yet to physically meet your beloved and have been met with excuses when trying to arrange an in-person connection.
- You have been asked to provide money, gift cards, or cryptocurrency.
- You have been given directions for investing money on specific online platforms.
- You have been asked to receive and send money on their behalf.
- You have been asked to share images that you would not want posted publicly.
If any of the red flags apply to you:
- Immediately report any transfer of funds to your financial institution.
- File a complaint with the FBI’s Internet Crime Complaint Center at www.ic3.gov.
- Contact the FBI Sacramento Field Office at 916-746-7000 or your local law enforcement agency.
If you plan to travel to meet your long-distance love, proceed with caution, especially if those plans involve travel to a foreign country. Some victims who have agreed to meet in person with an online love interest have been reported missing or have been injured, and at least one was reported dead. Always review the State Department’s Travel Advisories at http://travel.state.gov/ before travelling.