A romance or love scam is a fraudulent scheme in which a scammer pretends to have a romantic interest in his victim, builds a relationship, and then tries to get money or sensitive information from the victim under false pretenses.
Romantic scams work more through social engineering than through any sophisticated technology. The scammer typically creates a profile on a dating or social networking website, using information that has published potential goals. Once the victim has gained the victim’s trust, he or she usually admits that he has fallen in love and starts asking for money soon after. The fraudster can claim to have an emergency need for funds, or can request money for airfare to visit the victim. Among other things, the fraudster can request photos or personal information (e.g. nude pictures, bank information, etc.) that may be used to blackmail the victim.
Law enforcement agencies report that many romance scams originate from West Africa, Russia / Ukraine, and Asia. Scammers can use call center software for demanding organizations with leadership structures to work like a legitimate company. As with other call center employees, employees are paid on an hourly basis, work in shifts and follow scripts. Such scammers typically attempt to defraud multiple victims at the same time, and often communicate with their targets over a long period of weeks, months, or even years to maximize the likelihood of multiple payments being received from the target.
The usual lies that Romance Scammers tell their victims
Scammers will often say that they live or travel outside of the victim’s country. We have heard of scammers who say they:
- reportedly working on an oil rig
- are deployed abroad for the US military
- traveling as a doctor with an international organization
We have heard of romance scammers asking their targets for money to:
- be able to pay a flight ticket or other travel expenses to visit the victim of fraud.
- being able to pay for surgery or other medical expenses.
- Pay customs fees to pick up something important
- Can pay off gambling debts
- to be able to pay for a visa or other official travel documents
These scammers ask you to pay the money by bank transfer, prepaid cards or gift cards, as they want to receive cash quickly and can therefore remain anonymous. They also know that it is almost impossible to reverse the transactions.
This way you avoid losing your money to a romantic scam
Here’s the bottom line: Never send money or gifts to a so-called lover who you haven’t met in person.
What to do if you suspect romance scams:
If you suspect that your new acquaintance might fall into this grid, contact one of our experts. We screen this person and research for you at home and abroad whether the suspicion is confirmed.
If you have already suffered financial damage from a fraudster, we will determine the fraudster for you through our excellent worldwide network and try to get your money back from the relevant competent authorities.