In Valentine’s Day, many single are in search of some interesting love prospect with whom to spend this romantic date using applications and websites. This can be a fun adventure, but not everyone has the same intentions. On more occasions we imagine, instead of romance, find scammers behind their money.
Although these scams are not new, they are increasing accelerated every year due to technological accessibility combined with artificial intelligence. According to a report by the Federal Commerce Commission (FTC), in 2023 consumers lost $ 1.14 billion at the hands of online scammers that made their victims believe that they had a romantic interest.
Over time, romantic scammers build a friendship or romantic relationship, earning your trust before asking for money for sudden emergency, health problems or fraudulent investments.
If you are in search of your orange, Chase shares the signals to protect you from these romantic scams.
Be careful with strangers: Limit to connect with people you know on social networks and distrust those who are reluctant to meet in person. If someone has very few photos and avoid video calls or meetings in person, distrust before sharing personal information.
Be skeptical with dramatic stories: Be careful if someone you know online shares a dramatic or urgent story and asks for financial aid. Scammers often use emotional manipulation to exploit your kindness. Common tactics include claiming a family crisis, such as a medical emergency, or need money for a plane ticket to come to see you. These stories are designed to touch your heart and make you act quickly without thinking well.
Do not send money: Avoid sending money to someone with whom you have only spoken online or by phone. This includes not only traditional methods such as bank transfers, but also payments between people such as Zelle, bank transfers, cryptocurrencies or gift cards. Scammers usually ask for these payment methods because they are difficult to track and recover.
Protect your personal information: Avoid sharing sensitive personal information, such as your address, financial details or social security number, with someone you have not known in person. Banks usually have security methods that send alerts to their customers if there are unusual charges such as the application of Chase Mobile that helps you protect your money, monitor your expenses, block accounts and more.
Trust your instincts: Do you know the phrase, “it’s not you, it’s me”? In the world of romantic scams, it is often true. Scammers can try to make you feel paranoid if you express discomfort. Trust your intuition and do not hesitate to ask for help if something does not seem correct.
You can find additional information on how to detect fraud and scams here.
