In our increasingly digital world, the popularity of dating apps has exploded in recent years. Unfortunately, so has the volume of reported romance scams worldwide. Here are some tips to help you identify them and avoid becoming a victim – just in time for Valentine’s Day (and to follow year-round). Courtesy of Stay Safe Online.
What is a romance scam?
A romance scam, also known as catfishing, occurs when a cybercriminal lures someone they meet online into a false romantic relationship. In fact, the scammer is using a fake identity to gain enough of their victim’s trust to ask or pressure them for money.
In some cases, the scammer may pretend to know the victim, or impersonate one of their real friends, to gain the victim’s trust. This may be achieved using information about the victim that is publicly available via social media or other sources.
Warning signs of a romance scam
Scammers can be very convincing – the techniques they use may include, but are not limited to, the following list.
- There’s a request for money for urgent matters, such as medical expenses or a plane ticket. Never send money to someone you haven’t met in person or whose identity you cannot confirm.
- Common forms of money requested by scammers are wire transfers or pre-loaded gift cards.
- The person claims to live far away, overseas or be in the military.
- The relationship is moving very fast.
- They make plans to meet you in person but break them.
- There’s pressure to move the conversation off the platform to a different site or text app.
Know what action to take
If you believe that you or a loved one are the victim of a scam, it is important to take the following steps:
- Cease communications with the scammer immediately.
- Take note of any identifiable information you may have on them, such as their email address.
- Contact your bank or credit card company if you think you’ve given money to a scammer.
- File a police report.
- Notify the website or app where you met the scammer.
- Report the scammer to the Canadian Anti-Fraud Centre.
Additional resources
- Identify and report romance scams (Royal Canadian Mounted Police (RCMP))
- Online dating cybersecurity: 3 ways to stay protected (Government of Canada)
