Romance scams breaking hearts and bank accounts
CHICAGO - Love may be in the air with couples celebrating Valentine’s Day on Tuesday, but federal investigators are warning about the dangers of looking for love online.
Romance scams are on the rise, and there are some red flags to watch for so you don’t become a victim.
"It’s [a] very big [criminal enterprise]. We’re talking about transnational criminal organizations here, operating globally," said Homeland Security Investigator Brad Hannam.
Hannam said Cupid’s arrow may carry more of a sting if you’re looking for love online.
Romance scams swindle Americans out of millions of dollars every year, and because the scammers are usually based out of Ghana, Nigeria, and the Ivory Coast, they’re difficult to investigate and prosecute.
Which is why the best way to avoid being targeted is to know the warning signs. One red flag is the immediate lavishing of attention and affection from your online match.
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"We call it love bombing, where they just pour it on really thick and get that person tied into them," Hannam said. "And just when it seems like they’re getting ready to steal the victim’s heart, that’s when they go after their money."
Usually the fraudsters tell a story about wanting to buy a plane ticket to visit, or needing money to complete a project.
Hannam said don’t ever send cash to a potential match you haven’t met in person. Also, be wary if they ask you to communicate off of the dating site, and check to make sure they’re not using a stolen identity.
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"Do a reverse search on the image. Do a Google search on the story that they’re telling. It might reveal somebody else has encountered the same person, the same story," Hannam said.
Investigators estimate tens of thousands of Americans fall victim to romance scams each year, but they say it may be far higher than that because most victims are too embarrassed to report the crime.
"One thing we want to get across to victims is that they shouldn’t be ashamed," Hannam said. "That this happens to a lot of people. It happens to a lot of smart people. So we don’t want them to be embarrassed by it and not say something. Because we want to stop the victimization as soon as we can."
And he said if you do fall victim to a sweetheart scam, immediately break off contact with the scammer and report it to local police or Homeland Security Investigations.