• Skip to primary navigation
  • Skip to main content
  • Skip to primary sidebar
  • Skip to footer
  • Jobs
  • Career
    • Cyber Security Training
    • Work from Home
    • Cyber Security Analyst
    • Remote Work – Six Ways to Keep Your Data Safe When Working Remotely
  • Field Guide
  • Newsletter Signup
  • Deals
  • News
AskCyberSecurity.com

AskCyberSecurity.com

Cyber Security News & Information

  • Home
  • Data Privacy
    • Gamers
    • Government Cyber Security
      • Legislation
      • Standards
        • What are the risks of computer security?
        • Medical Cyber Security
    • Social Media
  • Security
    • Data Breaches
    • Scams
    • Malware
  • Software
    • Apps
    • Web Browsers
  • Glossary
    • Cyber Security Acronyms
  • About Ask Cyber Security
    • Authors
    • Contact Us
  • VPN
    • How Do I Know If My VPN is Working?
    • Best Free VPN iPhone
    • Why Use a VPN?
    • NordVPN vs IPVanish
    • Private Internet Access Download
    • Best VPN for Streaming
      • TikTok VPN
    • VPN Porn
    • Computer Security Software – What You Really Need
  • Tutorials
AskCyber Home » News » News » Romance Scam Losses Increasing

Romance Scam Losses Increasing

2020-10-06 by Keith Harlock

Romance Scam Increasing

FBI Reports That Romance Scams Cost Americans $475 Million in Scammed Cash and Property

According to the US Federal Bureau of investigations (FBI) Internet Crime Complaint Center (IC3) romance scams accounted for $475 million in losses last year. And that total is only for the 20,000 complaints reported to the FBI.

“The consequences of these scams are often financially and emotionally devastating to victims; they rarely get their money back and may not have the ability to recover from the financial loss,” says the FBI.

In 2015 The FBI received 12,500 romance scam complaints. By the next year, that number had grown to 15,000. In 2019 The FBI categorized 20,000 cases of fraud as romance scams in 2019.

Romance scammers use the information found online to help target their potential victims. For example, fraudsters may scan social media posts or corporate websites to find suitable targets who have the ability to pay them. The scammers establish phony online profiles to develop a perfect romantic partner persona. They may carry on multiple conversations with many potential victims thereby increasing their profit from this scheme.

Motley Fool Stock Advisor

Scammers can never meet in person. They may use excuses like work travel obligations, military service, inability to afford to travel to your location as reasons to avoid seeing you. In reality, the romance scammer may indeed be overseas, but regardless of their actual location, they’re not the person they say they are.

6 Signs of a Romance Scammer

The only goal of their relationship is to gain access to your money or property and convince you to give it to them.

What is a Romance Scam?

A romance scam is a form of online fraud where the cybercriminal creates a fake online profile to pretend to be someone interested in romantic relationship. They open a conversation with the victim to establish trust. This type of fraudster always has reasons why they cannot meet in person. Eventually the fraudster asks for money, goods, or property from the victim.

Romance scams are also known as confidence scams.

“Behind the veil of romance, it’s a criminal enterprise like any other,” said FBI Special Agent Christine Beining. “And once a victim becomes a victim, in that they send money, they will often be placed on what’s called a ‘sucker list,’ ” she said. “Their names and identities are shared with other criminals, and they may be targeted in the future.”

DNC Warns of Dating App Romance Scams

In September 2019, the US Department of Justice (DOJ) charged seven Nigerians for their roles in romance scams, phishing email campaigns, identity theft, and business email compromise (BEC) schemes. The defendants created phony online personas impersonating US female citizens supposedly living overseas. They used these profiles to establish relationships with and then steal money and property from American men.

Victims of romance scams can often unknowingly be converted into money mules. This turns the romance scam victim into a money mule co-conspirator. In May 2019, the DOJ indicted eight US citizens and one Nigerian for their roles in various online fraud schemes. The victims of the romance scams were asked to send money to designated recipients. The fraudsters targeted their victims using dating website Match.com, Facebook, and Instagram.

How to Spot a Romance Scam

  • Use Google to do a reverse image search
  • Although you may be eager to find someone special, let things develop slowly over time
  • Be suspicious of anyone who makes excuses why they cannot ever meet in person.
  • Do not send money, gift cards, travel expenses, or prepaid credit cards to people you just met or have never seen in person

Filed Under: News Tagged With: Romance Scam

About Keith Harlock

Keith has 30 years of experience managing staff for the planning and design of highway, bridge and transportation-related projects and specialty structures. Keith oversees the development of and authors numerous reports on a variety of topics related to transportation engineering and has worked with several key clients on projects related to infrastructure security. Keith is a licensed professional engineer in the State of New York, currently a State Board member of the American Council of Engineering Companies of New York and is a licensed commercial pilot with an instrument rating. He resides in Western New York.


LinkedInTwitter

Primary Sidebar

Subscribe to Our Free Newsletter

We Don't Share or Sell Your Info

Web Browsers

Where Are My Saved Passwords in Chrome?

Google Removes 70 Malicious Browser Add-ons from Chrome Web Store

Firefox 75 Reports Your Browser Settings to Mozilla

Categories

Cyber Security Field Guide

Computer Security While TravelingGet Our Cyber Security Field Guide - Available on Amazon!

Recent Posts

Security Marketing Manager – Remote

Sr. Associate, Cybersecurity Architect – Pfizer

Strategic Customer Success Manager – Cybersecurity – Opportunity for Working Remotely

Top 20 Passwords Leaked on Dark Web

ISU Cybersecurity Leader Job Opening

Cyber Security News

Top 20 Passwords Leaked on Dark Web

… [Read More...] about Top 20 Passwords Leaked on Dark Web

Apple Warns of Actively Exploited Zero-Day Flaw

… [Read More...] about Apple Warns of Actively Exploited Zero-Day Flaw

IRS Stops Facial Recognition System for Online Access

… [Read More...] about IRS Stops Facial Recognition System for Online Access

National Cybersecurity Alliance Announces Data Privacy Week

… [Read More...] about National Cybersecurity Alliance Announces Data Privacy Week

More Cyber Security News

Tags

amazon Android Apple bitcoin China chrome CISA credit card DarkSide DHS DOJ Equifax Europe Facebook facial recognition FBI Firefox FTC games GDPR Google Government hacker identity theft India iPhone Iran IRS LinkedIn Microsoft North Korea PayPal phishing phishing email ransomware REvil Russia smartphone T-Mobile TikTok tutorial VPN WhatsApp WiFi Windows

Government

CBP Looks to Access Airline Passenger Data

FTC Releases Cyber Threat Video Playlist

Malware Found on US Government Funded Phones

UK NCA Reaches Out to Youth to Deter Cybercrimes

More Posts from this Category

Footer

Menu

  • Home
  • About
  • Authors
  • Newsletter Signup
  • PRIVACY POLICY

Search

Why Use a VPN?

NordVPN vs IPVanish VPN Review

NAVIGATION

  • Data Breaches
  • Data Privacy
  • Gamers
  • Scams
  • Malware

MEMBER NJCCIC

New Jersey Cybersecurity & Communications Integration Cell

STAY CONNECTED

  • Facebook
  • Instagram
  • Pinterest
  • YouTube
  • Twitter
  • RSS

Copyright © 2023 · AskCyberSecurity.com · METRONY, LLC

Go to mobile version