By Gina Yarbrough
San Diego, CA–The FBI is warning the public of romance scams targeting victims using online dating sites.
In this digital age, love is just a click away—or is it? The rise of online romance scams has turned the quest for love into a financial nightmare for many unsuspecting victims. What starts as a whirlwind online romance can quickly spiral into fraud, leaving individuals with broken hearts, major financial losses, and shattered dreams.
These scams involve perpetrators who deceive victims into believing they are in a genuine romantic relationship. Once trust is established, scammers manipulate victims into sending money, personal information, or valuable items. In some cases, victims are even coerced into laundering money for the perpetrators.
According to the FBI’s Internet Crime Complaint Center (IC3), romance scams have resulted in some of the highest financial losses compared to other internet-facilitated crimes. In 2022 alone, IC3 received over 19,000 complaints about confidence fraud, totaling nearly $740 million in reported losses.
FBI San Diego is closely monitoring a concerning trend where romance scams evolve into crypto investment fraud schemes. Instead of requesting cash, scammers persuade victims to invest in cryptocurrency. Victims are directed to seemingly authentic websites to demonstrate returns on investment, only to find themselves unable to cash out, with the scammer vanishing into thin air.
To avoid falling victim to a romance scam, FBI San Diego offers the following tips:
Trust your instincts. If something feels off, it probably is.
If you suspect an online relationship is a scam, cease all contact immediately.
Refrain from sharing personal information or sending money to individuals you’ve only interacted with online or by phone.
Be cautious about the information you share online, as scammers can use details from social media and dating sites to build credibility.
Exercise caution when meeting someone in person, especially if traveling to a foreign country. Check travel advisories on travel.state.gov.
If you believe you’ve been a victim of fraud or know someone who may be, report it on ic3.gov or contact the FBI San Diego Field Office at (858) 320-1800.
For more information on romance scams, visit www.fbi.gov/romancescams.
