The FBI is warning people to beware of romance scams, especially during the month of love. With a lot of connections forming online and through dating apps nowadays, it is important to be on the lookout for con artists.
There are evil people out there that will fake a love interest in you just to end up stealing from you and draining your bank account. So here are some tips the FBI put out to avoid being romantically scammed, according to KTLA.
- Research the person’s photo and profile by searching online to see if the image, name, or details have been used elsewhere.
- Beware if the individual seems “too perfect” or quickly asks you to leave a dating service or social media site to go “offline.”
- The individual professes love quickly.
- The individual tries to isolate you from friends and family.
- The individual makes plans to visit you, but always cancels because of some emergency. If you haven’t met the person after a few months, you have good reason to be suspicious.
- Go slowly and ask lots of questions.
- Be careful what you post and make public online. Scammers can use details shared on social media and dating sites to better understand and target you.
- Never send money to anyone you have only communicated with online or by phone.