Consumer Alert
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.
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In reply to I me someone, Tom Muller. The by Contiki
This man might be using you to help him transfer stolen money. Scammers often trick people into helping them. They meet someone online, create a relationship, and ask the new partner to use her bank account or open a new account. Then, the scammer asks the victim to receive and transfer money to another scammer.
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. The bank may close your account and block you from having an account in the future.
Or, this could be a different scam. The scammer might have made up a story about a bank account with a lot of money, and made up the "fees" to "release funds" from his account. He might be telliing that story so you'll send money to pay those "fees."
If someone threatens you, you can report him to the site where you are communicating, the site where you met him, and to the FTC at www.FTC.gov/Complaint.
In reply to I me someone, Tom Muller. The by Contiki
This man might be using you to help him transfer stolen money. Scammers often trick people into helping them. They meet someone online, create a relationship, and ask the new partner to use her bank account or open a new account. Then, the scammer asks the victim to receive and transfer money to another scammer.
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. The bank may close your account and block you from having an account in the future.
Or, this could be a different scam. The scammer might have made up a story about a bank account with a lot of money, and made up the "fees" to "release funds" from his account. He might be telliing that story so you'll send money to pay those "fees."
If someone threatens you, you can report him to the site where you are communicating, the site where you met him, and to the FTC at www.FTC.gov/Complaint.
In reply to I me someone, Tom Muller. The by Contiki
In reply to Anyone being scammed by A by Nige
In reply to I have a friend who is in a by Deeb67
In reply to I know not to send money or by DSW
In reply to I know not to send money or by DSW
In reply to I’ve been talking to a man by BethC
In reply to Anyone talking to a guy that by Troubled parent
In reply to Was contacted by a guy who by Ddy_against_scammer
In reply to Met a guy on Instagram named by Skeptical