Valentine's Day 2018: FBI Warns of Online Romance Scams
While romance is in the air with the impending arrival of Valentine's Day, the FBI has warned the public to be cautious of online romance scams.
Many of those who will be without a date this Valentine's Day may pin their hope on various social media and online dating sites to find the right person to spend time with on a special day. While it is true that some people have, indeed, found romance online, others are not just as fortunate as they fall prey to online romance scams.
A woman who began communicating with a man online now serves as a reminder to people why they should not trust people they only meet virtually. According to the incognito victim of online romance, she felt a soul connection with the man she had never met personally.
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"We sang to each other. We prayed with each other. We'd talk about what happened at church on Sunday," said the incognito victim.
Apparently, after getting the unsuspecting victim's trust, the online romance scammer's real motives started to show as he started asking her for money. Unfortunately for the victim, she still failed to recognize the fact that she was being scammed as she obliged to his requests and went on sending him money until the amount reached a grand total of $2 million.
The victim lost all of her life savings.
According to Bridget Patton, a spokesperson for the FBI in Kansas City, women who are older, divorced, or widowed are the most common targets of romance scammers. Hence, despite the excitement and the promise of romance from these online romance and or social media sites, the public is advised to always take precautionary measures, not only this Valentine season but always.
"They're getting their keys and cues from you by what you post online, by your personality online. So again, one of the other tips is be very cautious - what you post online as well as who you accept those friend requests from," Patton said.
