Romance Scams

T

Trenton Mihm

Banned
Romance scams occur when a criminal adopts a fake online identity to gain a victim’s affection and trust. The scammer then uses the illusion of a romantic or close relationship to manipulate and/or steal from the victim.

The criminals who carry out romance scams are experts at what they do and will seem genuine, caring, and believable. Con artists are present on most dating and social media sites.

The scammer’s intention is to establish a relationship as quickly as possible, endear himself to the victim, and gain trust. Scammers may propose marriage and make plans to meet in person, but that will never happen. Eventually, they will ask for money.

Scam artists often say they are in the building and construction industry and are engaged in projects outside the U.S. That makes it easier to avoid meeting in person—and more plausible when they ask for money for a medical emergency or unexpected legal fee.

If someone you meet online needs your bank account information to deposit money, they are most likely using your account to carry out other theft and fraud schemes.

Tips for Avoiding Romance Scams:​

  • Be careful what you post and make public online. Scammers can use details shared on social media and dating sites to better understand and target you.
  • Research the person’s photo and profile using online searches to see if the image, name, or details have been used elsewhere.
  • Go slowly and ask lots of questions.
  • Beware if the individual seems too perfect or quickly asks you to leave a dating service or social media site to communicate directly.
  • Beware if the individual attempts to isolate you from friends and family or requests inappropriate photos or financial information that could later be used to extort you.
  • Beware if the individual promises to meet in person but then always comes up with an excuse why he or she can’t. If you haven’t met the person after a few months, for whatever reason, you have good reason to be suspicious.
  • Never send money to anyone you have only communicated with online or by phone.
 

How to reduce your chances of becoming a victim​

  • try using three unrelated words, eg fishbooktable; and think of three different words for each account, so if one is compromised the others are safe
  • never give personal or sensitive details out online or over email
  • make sure all devices have up-to-date anti-virus software and a firewall installed
  • keep software and apps regularly updated
  • only download from legal, trusted websites
  • only open emails and attachments from known and trusted sources
  • only ever use websites that start with https://, however make sure that you're on the correct site by sense-checking the full website address
  • avoid using public WiFi hotspots that are not secure, use your 3/4G data. If you have no choice but to use Public WiFi, then only use it with a Virtual Private Network enabled on your device
  • regularly back up your data
  • control your social media accounts – regularly check your privacy settings and how your data is being used and shared
  • be cautious of internet chats and online dating – there’s no guarantee you’re speaking to who you think
  • be extremely cautious if you’re asked for money

Email and text scams​

Be careful when opening emails and texts, especially if you don't know the sender. If an email or text is unexpected or seems unusual, even if it’s from someone you know, ignore it and contact the sender directly to check if they sent it.
Your bank, the police and reputable companies will never ask for sensitive or financial details via email, phone or text.
To protect yourself from scams, known as 'phishing':
  • don’t open attachments or click on links in emails or texts from senders you don’t know
  • never give out personal information, financial details or passwords in response to an email, when you receive an unexpected phone call or in response to a text message
  • set up spam filters on all of your accounts
  • don’t respond to emails or texts from unknown sources
  • always go to a website directly, by typing out the address yourself, when logging into an account

Social networking​

Social networks are a great way of keeping in touch with friends and family, but be careful about how much personal information you share.
Once you post or share something on any social media platform it’s out of your control and could be shared and used by others, even if you delete it.
Make sure you:
  • set your privacy settings to the highest level and check them regularly as updates can affect settings
  • don’t add or accept ‘friend’ requests from people you don’t know
  • where possible, block apps and social media sites from tracking and showing your location, to stop people you don’t know from following you
  • think carefully about the images, videos and content that you share
  • remember that if you wouldn’t do or say it in the real world, don’t do it online

How to spot a fake website​

If an online offer looks too good to be true, it probably is. To help spot a fake site:
  • sense check the domain name
  • are the prices too good to be true?
  • never pay by bank transfer – legitimate sites will accept payment via usual methods, such as bank card and PayPal
  • read the terms and conditions, and policies, to check they're clear and fair

Back up your data​

Ransomware is a type of malicious software that threatens to publish the victim's data or perpetually block access to it unless they pay a ransom.
Regularly back up all your documents and photos in at least one other place to minimise the risk of losing everything if you get a ransomware virus. You can back up data onto:
  • a USB stick
  • an external hard drive, making sure that the drive isn't connected at all times, as ransomware can infect devices connected to your network
  • a cloud server, making sure that the password you use for cloud servers and backups is a strong password and one you don't use anywhere else

Tips for parents and guardians​

The internet lets children connect with friends and learn new things. But there are also dangers to going online, and children can be particularly vulnerable.
Talking to your child is one of the best ways to keep them safe online. By understanding the risks and keeping yourself up-to-date on the latest technology, websites and social networks you can help your child enjoy the internet safely and securely.
To help protect your children online:
  • keep computers and games consoles in family rooms where you can monitor activity
  • install parental control software or activate parental controls through your Internet Service Provider (ISP) to prevent access to inappropriate content
  • ‘friend’ or ‘follow’ your child on social networks, so you can see how they're using them
  • check age restrictions for websites or social networks to make sure your children are allowed to join
  • advise your child not to post personal information or any images they wouldn’t want everyone to see
  • check their social media accounts’ privacy settings, so their posts are only seen by friends and their location isn’t tracked
  • avoid using webcams unless talking to close friends or family, and consider covering it when not in use
  • monitor how your children use the internet and watch for any secretive behaviour
  • encourage your child to be open about what they do online and who they’re talking to
  • insist you go with them if they wish to meet online friends
  • ensure the games your children play online are age appropriate
 
Trenton Mihm said:
It happens over ten years ago and I lost over $10,000.00
Click to expand...
There's an easy answer to never get scammed the first is hard for most but it's to have something called common sense. The second is easier it's to just trust nobody. even family in most cases they just want what you have. so, steer clear of everybody and work on yourself and yourself only.
 
Baby Facepalm GIF by MOODMAN
 

Puppy scam fools Council Bluffs cancer patient​

Published: Jul. 24, 2024 at 10:45 PM CDT|Updated: 11 hours ago
COUNCIL BLUFFS, Iowa (WOWT) - An old, but ongoing scam continues to fool more victims. The latest to fall for it is a woman who doesn’t need more stress in her life by losing money. 6 News has another warning about puppy scams.
While never alone during treatment, Dana wanted companionship when she gets home.
“Kind of like an emotional support animal and kind of therapeutic after going through radiation and cancer treatment for two different kinds of cancer,” Dana said.
A teacup Shih Tzu puppy would fit at role, and she paid for one online.
Anxious to get the puppy to its new home, Dana, who asked 6 News not to use her last name, put $100 down, but the seller wanted to it on a money app, which can be a red flag.
The puppy seller claims to be from Winterset, Iowa. It’s 118 miles from Council Bluffs, but the president of the Better Business Bureau suspects the puppy seller is much farther away.
“We’ve discovered that this crime primarily the epicenter for it in Cameroon, West Africa,” BBB President Jim Hagerty said.
BBB scam tracker reports show more than 1,500 victims of a puppy scam in the last year.
“The tipoff to the rip-off is that they are never going to allow you to physically visit the puppy,” Hagerty said. “You should not give anybody a dime for a puppy until you are able to physically visit it.”
However, photos of a cute puppy can be tempting.
“My heart is telling me to pay the one hundred fifteen dollars and try and get the dog,” Dana said. “But my mind is telling me it’s a scam.”
The victim paid more than $300 total through money apps and never received the dog. The BBB says the average loss in a puppy scam in a puppy scam is $1,000. Nearly 20% of reported online scams are tied to phony pet sales.
Copyright 2024 WOWT. All rights reserved.
 
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