Think you may be caught in a romance scam? Here are some of the red flags and what to do next.
Romance scams cost victims billions each year, and the warning signs are often easier to spot in hindsight. Here are eight red flags our fraud experts say you should never ignore:
A “wrong number” text. If you reply, you’ll soon find yourself in conversation with them. Almost as if they’ve created a relationship out of thin air.
Someone claims to be a celebrity reaching out via a private social media account asking for money for bills or for meet & greets.
A person wants you to move the communication to another platform. If you met on a dating site, they’ll quickly ask for your number or suggest communicating via WhatsApp or another messaging platform. Dating sites have the ability to identify and block scammers, so they want to move the conversation off of them as soon as possible.
Someone who lives far away. You can’t meet in person — yet — because they claim to live in another part of the country or to be abroad for business, a military deployment, on an oil rig, or doing charity work.
The person is constantly in contact. They love bomb you, texting at all hours and promising a life together.
You make plans to meet, but something always comes up. Just as they’re finally on their way to meet you, there’s a last-minute crisis.
They need money for an emergency. Your online companion has a sudden medical problem, legal crisis or business disaster; they need cash fast and you’re the only one who can help.
They have an investment opportunity. They have a relative who’s done well in cryptocurrency investing, and they want you to benefit from their knowledge.
If you spot any of these warning signs, here’s what to do next:
Cut off contact. Immediately stop communicating if you suspect the individual may be a scammer. Do not re-engage with them. Notify the dating or social media site on which you met the scammer.
Report the scammer to local law enforcement and the FBI’s Internet Crime Complaint Center (IC3.gov). Not every complaint leads to enforcement action, but the information can help officials spot trends and sometimes identify the criminals.
For support and guidance, call the free AARP Fraud Watch Network Helpline at 877-908-3360, where trained fraud specialists can share information on what to do next and how to avoid future scams. The AARP Fraud Watch Network also offers online group support sessions.