Common Ways To Identify Romance Scams
USE THIS PAGE AS A QUICK CHECK FOR SCAMS
Scammers use many tricks during romance scams, but the outcomes are similar. Here are some common characteristics:
SCAM TYPE: Investment Opportunities
The scammer tries to lure victims into investing. The norm is that they ask victims to wire them money; alternatively, they email the victim links to fake investment applications & websites. These links will be malicious phishing links, designed to trick the victim into revealing personal information to the scammers. What’s more, recently scammers learned how to exploit victims more thoroughly — with pig butchering scams.
SCAM TYPE: Pig Butchering Scams
Also known as “Sha Zhu Pan”, pig butchering is the latest online dating scam, and it can be harder than other scams for victims to spot the red flags. You are treated like a pig on the butcher’s block.
Why? First, scammers spend a long time winning your trust (normally 1 to 3 months). After that, they bring up some nice investments in cryptocurrencies and invite you to join them. Instead of asking for your money, they lead you to a third-party investment application or website.
Everything seems legitimate at first, and you can even withdraw your profit. Yet when you decide to invest in a large amount of cryptocurrencies, the website denies your request with various excuses — taxes, processing fees, or other technical issues. The “customer service” may even prompt you to provide more money.
This is when the scammers disappear; they run away with all the cryptocurrencies you invested!
Learn more about investment scams in this article.
SCAM TYPE: Requests Of Money For Emergencies
The scammers profess their love and offer marriage, but they can’t meet in person because they live too far away. Then they claim that an emergency has occurred, and they need money. In 2020, a common claim was that they have tested positive for COVID-19 and need money for treatment. After their target sends money, the scammer vanishes.
SCAM TYPE: Offers Or Gifts
The scammers claim that they want to send a gift from overseas, but a tariff or shipment fee is needed to send the goods. They ask the victim to wire money or send them prepaid cards and once they get the money, they disappear.
SCAM TYPE: Intimate Messages/Sextortion
Many victims have reported sextortion after exchanging private photos or having intimate video chats. The scammers threaten to share explicit images/screenshots with the victim’s contacts unless they receive money.
SCAM TYPE: Signs of Romance Scams
Is your online crush a scammer in disguise? Look out for these signs:
- He/She initiates contact with you – is a stranger you do not know
- They live in another country, or far from you
- Their profile seems too good to be true or contains few photos
- They express strong feelings for you within a couple of weeks
- They ask you for money – typically for a family emergency – though may start as a small amount
- They brought up information about investment opportunities and keep urging you to join
- There are always excuses for not meeting you in person
- They almost never agree to video calls – when they do it seems out of sync with the sound
- They write in poor English or speak with a distinct accent when talking on the phone
- It sometimes seems like different people writing or chatting
If most of these are true, your online relationship is 99% a romance scam. Be the one that got away!
To Learn More Also Look At Our Article Catalogs
Scam & Crime Types
More SCARS
- ScamsNOW Magazine – ScamsNOW.com
- ContraEstafas.org
- ScammerPhotos.com
- AnyScam.com – reporting
- AgainstScams.org – SCARS Corporate Website
- SCARS YouTube Video Channel
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