How To Protect Your Heart, Your Ego And Your Wallet
“It could NEVER happen to you, right? Because you’re smart, streetwise, educated and aware. Think again,” says Bexar County Sheriff, Javier Salazar. It can happen to anyone!
Who doesn’t want to be loved? In this day and age all it takes is online access and you’re off and running in finding the potential love of your life. Millions of people use online dating apps or social networking sites to meet someone. But instead of finding romance, many find a scammer trying to trick them out of their hard earned money. Romance scammers adjust their story to what they think will work in each situation. They are very, very clever.
Red Flags To Look Out For
They quickly want to leave the dating website and communicate through email or instant messaging. They might also insist on speaking on a chat app of their choice. Also, once the online relationship is established, they always have an excuse as to why they can’t meet you in person.
Their profile seems too good to be true, or their picture looks more like a model than a snapshot. Unfortunately, people can be blinded by this, but if someone’s profile looks too good to be true, it probably is. Scammers are in it for the long term. They will “make you fall in love” and still take everything you have. They have no remorse.
Fake Celebrity Online Profiles
Why would someone pretend to be a celebrity? Well, one reason is dissatisfaction with oneself or a desire for escapism. However, BEWARE! Scammers often use the profiles of famous people to build a level of trust and authority.
These days, celebrities share career news, personal views, even travel videos on social media and sometimes interact with fans in comment threads. Criminal scammers (celebrity imposters) take advantage of that by copying profiles and trying to convince fans that they are indeed the celebrity. They will send out tens of thousands of personal messages knowing that…. it….only….takes….one….person…to fall for their scam.
How Does The Scam Work?
To repeat, the scammer creates a very, very authentic looking online presence, stealing photos and images from the REAL celebrity. Next, they engage potential victims through direct messages, offering personalized attention or “insider” information to build a sense of trust. This building of trust may go on for quite some time. Remember they are working several victims at once.
Deep Connection
The scammer will try to build a strong friendship bond very quickly, showering the victim with compliments and expressing “innocent” feelings early on.
They’ll often make excuses to avoid video calls or in some cases, in-person meetings, claiming poor internet connection, “busy” with their career, or being in a remote location.
The Pitch
Once trust is established, (meaning you’ve been “chatting” with this “celebrity” for awhile and yet, they have asked nothing of you,) the scammer will eventually present a compelling reason to ask for money. “What?” you say, “I would NEVER fall for that!” Well, they might ask you, their trusted friend, to contribute to a (fake) charity or fundraiser. Or perhaps they present an “investment opportunity” that supposedly offers high returns.
Exploiting Urgency
They might create a sense of urgency by claiming the offer is limited or that the “celebrity” is facing a pressing issue, encouraging immediate action. Think about it, if they received only 10 dollars from 100 different people….That’s an easy $1,000! And so on, and so on.
Now here’s the really scary part: With the rise of artificial intelligence (AI) tools and other techniques, criminals can replicate voices, create deepfake videos, and forge identification cards. By using their arsenal of deceptive technology and tools, the potential monetary loss to victims is staggering.
How Can You Protect Yourself?
First of all, NEVER ever share your personal information with or send money to someone you don’t know and have only communicated with online, no matter how famous they are, or how long you’ve been communicating. ( For example, you might think it would be harmless to tell the “scammer” things like the name of your pets, or where you were born. Harmless conversation, right? No, no no!)
Why? Well, most people use their pet’s names as their password for many different accounts, including financial. It may seem innocent to you, but it is valuable information to the scammer.
Your true love may indeed be out there, but if you suspect a romance scam stop all communication with the scammer, reach out to someone you trust to discuss the situation, and report the incident to the platform where you met.
Do not blame yourself, as romance scams are often very sophisticated and manipulative. Take steps to protect your finances if you’ve shared personal information.
Remember, if something seems too good to be true, it probably is.
To report scams: FTC at ReportFraud.ftc.gov