But the FBI, just in time for Valentine’s Day, is warning that the millions of Americans who visit online dating websites are sitting ducks for criminals “looking to turn the lonely and vulnerable into fast money through a variety of scams.”
These criminals – who also troll social media sites and chat rooms in search of romantic victims – most often target women over 40 who are divorced, widowed, and/or disabled, though every age group and demographic is at risk. They usually claim to be Americans traveling or working abroad.
The Feds lay out the approach vector: “You’re contacted online by someone who appears interested in you. He or she may have a profile you can read or a picture that is emailed to you. For weeks, even months, you may chat back and forth with one another, forming a connection. You may even be sent flowers or other gifts. But ultimately, it’s going to happen—your new-found ‘friend’ is going to ask you for money.”
And woe be to the Ms. or Mr. Lonelyheart who falls for that. “Rest assured the requests won’t stop there,” the FBI added. “There will be more hardships that only you can help alleviate with your financial gifts. He may also send you checks to cash since he’s out of the country and can’t cash them himself, or he may ask you to forward him a package.”
It’s quite effective, apparently, because the effort it takes wouldn’t be worth it otherwise. For it to work well, the criminals have to use targeted attacks. They will parse through personal information that a person has uploaded on dating or social media sites, and over time, develop a profile of the victim based on publicly available information. Then, the crooks will create an online dating persona that closely matches the interests of the victim. After collecting some fake photos to send off, the criminals then set about spending hours and hours gaining the victim’s trust.
“In addition to losing your money to someone who had no intention of ever visiting you, you may also have unknowingly taken part in a money laundering scheme by cashing phony checks and sending the money overseas and by shipping stolen merchandise (the forwarded package),” the FBI added.
There are variations on this theme as well, particularly when it comes to extortion. In those scenarios, victims usually met someone on an online dating site and then are asked to move the conversation to a particular social networking site, where the talk often turned intimate. Victims were later sent a link to a website where those conversations were posted, along with photos, their phone numbers and claims that they were “cheaters.” In order to have that information removed, victims were told they could make a $99 payment – but there is no indication that the other side of the bargain was upheld.
Helpfully, the FBI has posted some tips on how to unmask a scam artist when one comes your way. Red flags include people who press you to leave the dating website you met through and to communicate using personal email or instant messaging; those who profess instant feelings of love; people who send photographs of themselves that look “like something from a glamour magazine"; those who claim to be from the US and are traveling or working overseas; people who make plans to visit but are then unable to do so because of a tragic event; or anyone who asks for money for a variety of reasons (travel, medical emergencies, hotel bills, hospitals bills for child or other relative, visas or other official documents, losses from a financial setback or crime victimization).
“One way to steer clear of these criminals all together is to stick to online dating websites with nationally known reputations,” the FBI concluded.