The Romance Scam

Don’t become a VICTIM to one of the most prolific SCAMS on the Internet.

As you read this, roughly 20 000 people are about to fall victim for one the most common scams on social media. It certainly has the highest pay-out of all current internet scams. Statistics in SA are sparse but the F.B.I. in the USA reports that the scam nets criminals roughly $164 million per annum that they KNOW about. Roughly 82% of victims are women and 18% are men. The scam typically takes about 10-12 weeks to run its course before a new set of victims are sought out. The romance scam is taken to new levels on social media and is such big business that entire crime syndicates run them, often in teams of up to six people at a time scamming just one person. So let’s discover how and why it works, what the end game is and what to do if you are currently involved with the scam or have been caught already. Teams of cyber criminals troll the internet searching for victims. They might target hundreds of people at a time of which only a handful take the bait. Ideally their targets are aged 40 plus, recently widowed or divorced men and women. They are easy to spot! Posts about the loss of a loved one or the negativity surrounding a cheating spouse resulting in divorce usually ends up in some form of commentary on social forums, particularly on Facebook. These scammers access your profile using techniques I have already discussed in other articles. Generally the scammer’s own profile is created from ID theft using copied photos from real Facebook pages and their stories on their fake page will mirror your pain of the death of a loved one or divorce. They contact their victims through Facebook messaging or email using very general friendship requests based on similar interests. They tell you a little about themselves, usually having little or no family and are from a foreign country. They come across as thoughtful and caring and, like their victim, they too appear to be a victim of circumstance. The victim, desperate to find compassion in uncaring world will often accept their friend request and so a bond starts to form. These scammers are highly effective at playing with the emotions of their victims and take their time to develop a very personal and meaningful relationship. Sadly your dream partner soon becomes a nightmare reality. One common denominator is that no matter when you text, they always respond quickly. This is because there are teams working on the scam, not just one person. The scripts they use are well oiled machines and often many targets are being handled simultaneously with copy and paste quotes, poems and eventually declarations of love. The romance might even progress to describing in detail; naughty fantasies or steamy sexting often with photos (which can be used for blackmail later) and eventually telephone calls. Once the scam is in its mature phase, the sting operation is put into effect and there are countless variations all involving the victim becoming poorer and the cybercriminal becoming richer. At a basic level you will be asked to pay for a flight for them to visit (as they just cannot quite get the money together right now). A more dangerous version is when they offer to book the flight for you (as it might be cheaper) and they need copies of your passport (leading to additional ID theft) and, of course, a cash sum. Other more complex versions include them claiming to be stuck for cash as they’ve just been mugged or you receiving an ‘emergency contact’ call from a hospital refusing to do a lifesaving operation unless a sizeable deposit is paid. To some readers, this scam might seem obvious, but to somebody who is lonely, recently divorced or who has just lost a loved one, it is difficult to see the wood for the trees. A latest twist to this scam is if eventually the victim catches on, the scammer confesses openly to being a scam artist but explains that in the weeks or months of getting to know them, they have genuinely fallen in love and please can the victim forgive them. They continue communicating and the ruse will continue until some other angle of getting money is introduced which may include blackmail for the sensitive pictures and fantasy texts mentioned earlier. One final version of the scam runs on the same principle but targets older folk from "young", often African, children looking for an older role model. Older folk willingly respond as they think they are doing some good and look forward to the friendship. The scammer then guilt trips the victim for money to pay for school supplies, food parcels and school outings. If you are currently involved or suspect you may be involved in such a scam, immediately cease communication, block them from phones, social media and emails. Report them to the social media site they first contacted you on and report them on Romance Scam social media sites set up to handle this exact scam to help others identify the scam groups. If you have already been a victim, make sure you report any possible ID theft to the police (it’s doubtful they will be able to help you but it creates a paper trail) and contact your bank to be on the lookout for any suspicious activity on your account. The greatest weapon in the fight against this type of crime is communication. If you know how the scams operate, you can become Scam Proof. If you felt this article was informative, then please share it onto your community forums and with friends and HELP get the word out there.

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