Not everyone using online dating sites is looking for love. Scammers create fake online profiles using photos of other people — even stolen pictures of real military personnel. They profess their love quickly. And they tug at your heartstrings with made-up stories about how they need money — for emergencies, hospital bills, or travel. Why all of the tricks? They’re looking to steal your money.
As if all that isn’t bad enough, romance scammers are now involving their victims in online bank fraud. Here’s how it works: The scammers set up dating profiles to meet potential victims. After they form a “relationship,” they come up with reasons to ask their love interest to set up a new bank account. The scammers transfer stolen money into the new account, and then tell their victims to wire the money out of the country. Victims think they’re just helping out their soulmate, never realizing they’re aiding and abetting a crime.
Here are some warning signs that an online love interest might be a fake. They ask you to:
- chat off of the dating site immediately, using personal email, text, or phone
- wire money using Western Union or Money Gram
- set up a new bank account
Did you know you can do an image search of your love interest’s photo in your favorite search engine? If you do an image search and the person’s photo appears under several different names, you’re probably dealing with a scammer. And if the person’s online profile disappears a few days after they meet you, that’s another tip-off.
Here’s the real deal: Don’t send money to someone you met online — for any reason. If your online sweetheart asks for money, you can expect it’s a scam.
Unfortunately, online dating scams are all too common. There may be tens of thousands of victims, and only a small fraction report it to the FTC. If this happens to you, please report it at ReportFraud.ftc.gov.
In reply to Beware of a scammer who calls by Liz
In reply to This can happen to men too. I by Frustrated...
I have the same experiences. It seems that all online dating services has been overwhelmed by international organized scammers. I have lost account of how many I have chatted with. 8 of 10 dating women and men profiles are used by scammers. Then it is another question if the 2 real women will bother to answer to our message. One way to go forward is to ask some of the real women commenting here, that have been scammed by fake men. At least you are a real man, and you know that the women is real, or you and she wouldn't be commenting here.
In reply to This can happen to men too. I by Frustrated...
In reply to Pls post the picture of all by Missingsoulmate
In reply to I am so lived with my mother by Frustrated with mom
If your mother thinks she was scammed, she could report the person to the money transfer company. She can call the Western Union Fraud Hotline at 800-448-1492 or the MoneyGram Customer Care Center at 1‑800‑926‑9400.
She can report also the person to the FTC at FTC.gov/Complaint. The information she gives will go into a secure database that law enforcement uses for investigations.
If she gave a scammer personal information like copies of her license, Social Security number, bank or credit account numbers, he can use that for identity theft. He can open new accounts or take money from her accounts . If she gave that information, she can go to this page on IdentityTheft.gov. It tells what to do if your license, Social Security number, etc. were lost or stolen.
In reply to I have a Dr. John F. Anderson by NJR design
In reply to Same story but from albany.. by Whatthejaymeo
I met a guy in line and says he is in the military. His wife passwd away and has a son. His texts are incredibly sweet and he wants to come see me in july. He asked me to open a bank account so he can put money in there to pay for a hotel room when he comes to see me? Any suggestions?
In reply to I met a guy in line and says by European girl
Some scammers use people to help them transfer stolen money. They meet people online and create a relationship, then ask their new sweetheart to use her bank account receive money and transfer it out.
If you do this for a scammer, your name is on the bank account and on the money transfer forms. If you get involved with one of these schemes, you could lose money and personal information, and you could get into legal trouble.
In reply to I met a guy in line and says by European girl
Anyone scammed by Hen Antonio ? He says he’s from Brazil originally but lives in Sugarland Texas He did a multi million dollar job in Alaska and now he has to pay the money back or go to jail. He needs $4850 to pay lawyer Oh and he has a 10-year-old son
In reply to I have met a guy called by moonlight
In reply to I got cought by guy named by Nicole
In reply to I have a Dr. John Anderson by NJR design
In reply to I have a Dr. John Anderson by NJR design
In reply to Has anyone heard of a man who by Ptakdiva01
In reply to I have a Wilson Robert by Betty
I was contact by Jose Rui Figueiredo on facebook in April....he want to know me better,we start talking....he is very charming and always sending me love letters we talk about trivial things and he always have a perfect answer for everything very quickly while we are talking.He told he was having a critical problem,and from then i paid already few thousands to help him as he is stuck in the shipin Idian Ocean...all wasgoing well until igot a new email,asking to pay an huge amount of money to pay to Italian ministry of internal Affairs to get abox with his belongigs as he had to sent it over in a rescue operation....he have no one else to send it only me in less then a month his life resume to only me and my support!!He have a daughter and is widowed only friends he have are with him on the ship,lost his parents long time ago no siblings very solitary man...sent e many picturez with him and his kid...she even send me msm as he told her about me..they are convincing but i track their emails and find many leaks on their conversation...
Pagination