Online scammers use charm and romance to break the ice while forming a new relationship. Not only does it end with a broken heart, but it can also break the bank.
The FBI Washington Field Office issued a news release on February 11 warning the public about a rise in romance scams, also called confidence scams. The scams are conducted through the use of fake profiles on social media or dating sites, whichever way criminals choose to throw out their bait.
These criminals build a relationship with their prey, only to manipulate them once trust is built. The scammer shares stories about battling financial issues after they have their victim’s trust. Their goal is usually to ask for money, but more importantly, they ask for the victims’ bank account information. In turn, that information can be used for other criminal activity.
Scammers target people they deem lonely and/or vulnerable, often individuals who are divorced, widowed, disabled, or a woman over the age of 40.
Wayne A. Jacobs, special agent in charge of the FBI Washington Field Office’s Criminal and Cyber Division, emphasized that it is crucial to report scammers to the FBI even though it may be embarrassing. “Romance scammers are liars and thieves, but they’re also masters of their craft.”
Romance scammers have only increased their haul over the years. According to the FBI Houston Division, in 2018, victims spent a total of $362.5 million for their online relationships. In 2019, that dollar amount rose to $475 million.
In 2020, scammers manipulated $600 million out of the 23,000 victims who reported romance scams to the FBI’s Internet Crime Complaint Center.
Last year, romance scammers raked in $1 billion from 24,000 prey.
Yvonne Costales, a 68-year-old grandmother from Houston shared her story with NBC 5. Being far from the dating scene for a while, she decided to join Tinder, even if just to make a new friend.
For four weeks, she talked every day to 57-year-old Robert, who worked in Dallas, or so she thought. Robert sent her flowers, shared life stories, fostered an emotional connection, and offered to send her money to buy them a future house. The final red flag was when Robert asked for her social security number.
Costales used an online service called “Social Catfish” to investigate Robert and found out he used pictures of a TV announcer from San Francisco on his profile, and she believes he lives in Turkey.
“It was very upsetting. I was really depressed about it and mostly disappointed with myself because I wasted 4 weeks of my life on this cruel thing that they were doing. And I just felt really lucky that I didn’t lose any money,” Costales expressed.
The FBI reminds citizens to be careful and vigilant when meeting new people, especially on the internet, and report any suspicious activity to the FBI or local authorities.