Don't Let Love Blind You: The Rising Threat of Romance Scams

Romance scams can devastate victims, leaving them feeling betrayed and taken advantage of. They come in many forms, but they all have one thing in common: romance scams are designed to take advantage of someone’s trust. Romance scammers are out in numbers to lure unsuspecting hapless romantics. However, it's not business as usual as scammers get more creative as the years go by.

Some of the common types of romance scams include catfishing, military scams, and sweetheart scams. Are they still the most common romance scams in 2023? Join us as we uncover some of the more common romance scams now and how you can protect yourself and your heart from heartless scammers.

What are the Latest Romance Scams?

Romance scams were one of the most popular scams as noted in the Global State of Scams report of 2022. With scammers shifting gears to more complex scams, here are some of the most common ones to better equip yourself.

Pig-butchering Scams

The Pig Butchering Scam is an ugly scam that involves scammers “fattening” their victims before sweeping them clean of all their money. It began in China and was known as shāzhūpán which loosely translates to fattening something so as to butcher it.

Under this scam, the scammers will start by building trust with their victims with things like words of affirmation and promises. Once the victim trusts them, they are offered bogus investment or cryptocurrency tips through which victims end up sending money to scammers.

Jan Santiago, from Global Anti Scam Organization, says that early on they would find victims in language-learning apps and dating apps. They then proceeded to social media, like Facebook and Tinder as well as LinkedIn, and finally, random texts.  Their entrapment can get very elaborate, like sending flowers and tea sets. Scam syndicates can even hire real-life models to do phone calls, voice notes, and video chat. All this is to get you to trust them before they strike. 

Military Romance Scams

As the name suggests, this is one where a person will reach out and pose as military personnel. In most cases, they will most likely be deployed, hence the reason why you cannot meet face to face. They will then build trust with you and at some point ask you to send them money to cover expenses, like a flight back home. They usually prefer cash transfers or cryptocurrencies and will come up with just about any excuse not to get an air mile transfer. They will insist on cash transfers which are hard to track.

Wrong Number Scam 

While it's normal to get a text message from the wrong number, it can be a plot to scam you too. The BBB is reporting a surge in romantic scams involving wrong numbers, usually seeming like a young girl trying to text her friend.

The main goal here is to elicit sympathy emotions from the unsuspecting victims who will want to engage the young girl. Once you reply, the users at the very least know the line is active and can follow up with other social engineering scams. Some scammers may proceed by sending you lewd photos and may attempt to push you to join adult sites where they can collect your credit card details. 

Fake Dating Sites

With a lot of people turning to online dating, about 57 million in the US alone, there has been an increase in fake dating sites. To appear legit and popular, fake dating sites are turning to AI to keep the conversation going. This, plus the use of deep fakes, may convince you that you are talking to a real person instead of a chatbot. Their aim is to collect your credit card details and siphon money from your accounts.

Image source: Unsplash.com

How to Protect Yourself

The best way to protect yourself from romance scams is to be aware of the warning signs. If someone you meet online starts asking for money or other favors, it is likely a scam. It is also important to be wary of anyone who seems too good to be true or who is pressuring you for money or other favors. 

It is also essential to be cautious when sharing personal information online. Never give out your bank account information, Social Security number, or other sensitive information to someone you don’t know. Be wary of anyone who asks for this information, even if they seem legitimate. 

I’ve fallen for a romance scam, now what?

If you find yourself on the receiving end of a romance scam, don’t beat yourself up. Kathy Waters, Co-Founder of Advocating Against Romance Scammers says, “Everyone wants someone to share their life and dreams, to love, and to grow old with. There’s nothing wrong with this, you did nothing wrong.” She continues to say, “A majority of scammed survivors feel embarrassed and ashamed for falling for something and someone that is not real.”

It's important to remember that you were victimized by professional manipulators and that can happen to anyone. Do not beat yourself up, it happens to even the most educated who fall for these elaborate and well-organized scams.

Even though law enforcement can be slow as it's flooded with cybercrime cases, Kathy Water advises romance scam victims to go ahead and file their cases. She notes, “All the data is collected and held for possible future “like” information that can tie to another report which can possibly result into opening a case.”

This was also echoed by Jan Santiago, Deputy Director of Global Anti Scam Organization who says, “There is a higher chance of opening a case if there are many victims of the same scam gang, so victims of the same scammers may have to try to find each other.” If you fall into one of the many sophisticated romance scams, go ahead and file a case, justice may be slow, but you may help the next person avoid scammers.

Conclusion

Romance scams are becoming increasingly common and can be devastating for the victims. By being aware of the signs of a romance scam, you can protect yourself from becoming a victim. If you think you may be a victim of a romance scam, it is important to contact the authorities and report the scammer. 

Be wary of anyone who seems too good to be true or who is pressuring you for money or other favors. Never give out your bank account information, social security number, or other sensitive information to someone you don’t know. Stay safe even as you look for love!