It seems innocent enough. Two people meet on an online dating site — one hoping to find companionship but unaware of the motivations of the other. The relationship progresses through extended emails, texts and phone chats. Plans are made to meet over coffee. In the meantime, the one hoping to find love is contacted by the other who needs $100 to cover the cost of an emergency room visit and the person longing for love obliges and wires the money.
The $100 soon turns into $1,000 needed for car repairs, and ultimately, for $30,000, which is to be treated as a loan. The loan is never repaid. After dozens of attempts to contact their online lover, they realize the person has disappeared.
Romance scams are proliferating on the internet, especially among susceptible seniors desperate to find companionship. Scammers use their charm to get close through virtual communications, and their victims, thinking it could be the real thing, don’t want to disappoint them.
While legitimate online dating sites are visited by well-meaning adults looking for relationships, there are plenty of red flags to watch for:
The single most important rule anyone should follow is to never send money to a person you have never met.
If you spot any of these red flags, stop all contact immediately and file a complaint with the FBI’s Internet Crime Complaint Center.
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