Romance scams
Romance scams happen when fraudsters set up fake identities to form online relationships and emotional connections with victims. This is often done through dating apps. The ultimate goal is to convince you to send them money or financial information.
They may invest quite a bit of time building the relationship and connection to earn your trust. The romantic scammer typically comes on very strong, but though they cannot wait to meet in person, they often live in another country or have a job that means they are away a lot. They’ll use this as their reason to delay meeting you in person so they can continue to manipulate you online.
Their dating profile and photos are fake or belong to someone else. Once they have your trust, the scammer comes up with a reason for needing money.
Red flags to watch out for:
- Very fast emotional attachment on their part, declaring their love.
- Asking you to move off dating apps and to message directly.
- Ongoing excuses for why they can’t meet in person, and avoiding video calls.
- Vague details and answers to questions about their life.
- They ask you to send them money to pay for medical bills, for a sick parent for example.
- They ask you to pay for their travel so they can fly over to meet you.
- They ask you to help them fund a business scheme or investment opportunity.
Romance scammers are very convincing and will seem genuine, caring and believable. There are ways that you can protect yourself from a broken heart and an empty bank account.
Do
- Be careful what you share online as scammers can use information about you to scam you.
- Go slowly with any new online romance and ask lots of questions.
- Research the person’s profile and photo using online searches to see if the image, name or other details appear elsewhere.
- Watch out for any mention of money or investments, this is a major red flag.
- Tell friends or family about your online relationship – they might see the warning signs you’re missing.
- Trust your instinct – if something feels wrong, it probably is.
Don’t
- Assume that the person you’ve met is who they say they are.
- Share too much personal information on your dating profile.
- Send any intimate pictures of yourself to people you don’t know online – scammers can blackmail you for money using these images.
- Provide copies of personal documents to the person such as your passport.
- Send money or information to someone you’ve only met online.
If you think you’ve been scammed
If you think you have been scammed and have given someone your bank or card details, or sent them money, contact your bank or financial provider immediately. They can advise you and put a hold on your account. You should also alert your local Gardai station.
