It breaks my heart when I hear reports of seniors who have had money stolen, sometimes all their retirement savings, by a romance scammer.
One senior woman reported her “love” in Nigeria had taken all her money, and she had to go live with her brother.
Another woman fell in love with “John” and sent him money on gift cards.
A senior man, who was lonely after his wife passed away, sent $100,000 to an attractive younger woman he met online, then she disappeared.
Older adults reportedly lost nearly $240 million to romance scams in 2022, according to the Federal Trade Commission, or FTC.
The scammers want to establish a relationship as quickly as possible, endear themself to the victims, and gain trust. Scammers may propose marriage and make plans to meet in person, but that usually will never happen. Eventually, they’ll ask for money.
The criminals who carry out romance scams are experts at what they do and will seem genuine, caring, and believable. Con artists are present on most dating and social media sites.
Scam artists often say they’re in the building and construction industry and are engaged in projects outside the United States. That makes it easier to avoid meeting in person – and more plausible when they ask for money for a medical emergency or unexpected legal fee.
If someone you meet online needs your bank account information to deposit money, they’re most likely using your account to carry out other theft and fraud schemes.
If you’ve been victimized, stop all contact with the scammer immediately. Notify the website or social media platform where the scammer first made contact. This can lead to the scammer’s profile being removed, protecting other potential victims.
The FBI offers these ways to protect yourself:
- Be careful what you post and make public online. Scammers can use details shared on social media and dating sites to better understand and target you.
- Research the person’s photo and profile using online searches to see if the image, name, or details have been used elsewhere.
- Go slowly and ask lots of questions.
- Beware if the individual seems too perfect or quickly asks you to leave a dating service or social media site to communicate directly.
- Beware if the individual attempts to isolate you from friends and family or requests inappropriate photos or financial information that could later be used to extort you.
- Beware if the individual promises to meet in person but then always comes up with an excuse why he or she can’t meet. If you haven’t met the person after a few months, for whatever reason, you have good reason to be suspicious.
- Never send money to anyone you have only communicated with online or by phone.
If you think you’ve been tricked by a romance scammer, report it to local law enforcement and file a fraud complaint with the Federal Trade Commission. In addition, regularly check bank and credit card statements for any unusual activity.
