If you, like many people, spend a lot of your time online, you may think you already know how to protect yourself and your personal information. Whether its keep up-to-date with all the latest updates for your software or using one of the best VPNs, there are many steps you can take to keep yourself safe. However, you may not have considered how to keep your data safe from scammers who try to directly interact with you.
Romance scams are on the rise, with scammers using increasingly sophisticated methods to trick unsuspecting victims into parting with their data and their money. Research by the FTC shows that nearly 70,000 people reported a romance scam in 2022, leading to reported losses of $1.3 billion. Given that it’s Data Privacy Week, it’s a good time to make sure you’re aware of the warning signs to keep you (and your data) safe from these unscrupulous scammers.
But what exactly is a romance scam? Who is most at risk of being targeted? How can you avoid getting scammed? In this guide, we’ll walk you through everything you need to know to protect your money, your data, and your mental health from romance scanners.
What are romance scams?
Romance scams trick unsuspecting victims into believing they’re in a romantic relationship with a scammer, who will then persuade their victim to send them personal information and money. They will deliberately entice their victim into a romantic relationship by using emotionally manipulative language to convince their victim that they have genuine romantic feelings for them.
Scammers involved with this kind of con will usually target people they meet on dating apps or via social media and will pretend to be someone they’re not, often using fake photos to catfish their victim. They will also make up a fake name, persona, and backstory that will often seem very genuine and wouldn’t raise suspicion.
Once they have won their victim's trust, the criminal will then usually start making highly emotive requests for money. They will often ask their victim to help pay for emergency medical care for themselves or a loved one or to invest in their business. They might also ask their victim to pay their travel costs so they can visit.
After the victim has sent money to the scammer once, they will usually get asked to send more. This can quickly turn into huge sums of money, often wiping out the victim’s savings, causing them to sell their property, or even take out loans to meet the pleas from the scammer.
Who is most likely to be the victim of a romance scam?
While anyone can become the victim of a romance scam, research by UK-based bank Lloyds has found that people aged 55-64 are the most likely to fall afoul of them. This is because people in this age bracket tend to have more assets but may not be as quick to spot online scams as younger demographics.
People of this age are particularly likely to be targeted if they’ve suffered the loss of a relationship, whether through a divorce, a breakup, or a bereavement. This vulnerability unfortunately makes them an ideal target for scammers who will take advantage of their want for companionship and try to trick them. Scammers will usually find people to target by going on social media or dating apps, looking for their ideal target and striking up a conversation with someone aged 55-64 who is newly single.
Men are statistically slightly more likely to fall prey to a romance scam, making up 58% of victims. They are also three times quicker to send money when they’ve started online dating than their female counterparts.
But having said that, women tend to lose a lot more money overall as a result of online scams. A recent report by Barclays Bank in the UK found that female victims lose an average of £8,900, which is 2.5 times more than male victims, who lose an average of £3,500.
How to spot a romance scam
Although romance scams are becoming more sophisticated, there are still several red flags to look out for that will help you identify and avoid a romance scam:
- They try to isolate your communications. The person approaches you on a dating app or social media and then quickly asks you to move your communications onto a more private form of messaging, such as Whatsapp, Telegram, or email.
- They try to establish a bond with you very quickly. This can include telling you they have strong feelings for you they have never had for anyone else before, as well as using pet names and trying to engage you in emotional conversations.
- They avoid video calls and phone calls. And if you call and they answer, they give reasons why they cannot show their face or their voice doesn't sound how you'd expect it to, such as illness or poor signal.
- They don't share a lot of information about themselves. This usually includes asking a lot of personal questions about you but not being forthcoming with personal information about themselves.
- They are inconsistent. You may be able to spot contradictions with any information you do get out of them, such as claiming to have a university education but being unable to spell or use grammar correctly, or if they claim to be living in a certain place/city but can’t tell you anything personal about where they live e.g. favorite places, restaurants etc.
- Their photos are stolen. If you perform a reverse image search of their photos and their pictures show up under another person's name, it’s almost certain they have stolen the images.
- They suddenly and/or repeatedly ask you for money. Reasons often include illness or injury, offering to teach you how to invest, travel costs so they can visit you, or being in the military and getting deployed somewhere far away. If you give them money, they soon come up with another reason you need to send them more.
By using these tips, you will put yourself in a better position to spot a romance scam and foil anyone attempting to steal your money or your data.
