Romance phishing scammers try to trick potential victims by pretending to be interested in a romantic relationship. These cybercriminals lure you into a false sense of security and appeal to the human desire for affection. But instead of bringing you joy, these scammers lie to get your money or even access your computer so they can steal your personal and financial data. With online dating more popular than ever before, don’t be caught unawares and fall into a romance phishing scammer’s trap. Learn about the common signs of these cybercriminals and how you can ensure they never trick you into giving away precious information.
Signs of Romance Phishing Scammers
There are countless ways romance phishing scammers can try to steal your money and personal details. More often than not though, these cybercriminals follow a pattern. They often begin a relationship while pretending to be a service member overseas or have another type of job that requires them to be out of the country often. At first, everything seems like it’s going great. These scammers know how to fake intimacy and gain your trust while at the same time insisting it’s impossible for you to videochat or meet in person.
Relationships with romance scammers move quickly so they can get their money faster. Eventually the scammer will claim to be caught in a health, travel, or legal situation for which they need money in cash or gift cards. In some cases, the scammer may even attempt to bait you into giving them access to your computer where they can install malicious software to compromise your personal or financial data. Either way, they will ask you for something valuable like money or data, and that it be sent to them in a specific way. A scammer obtaining large sums of money or personal data can wreak havoc on your life so you must watch out for these warning signs to know if you’re falling into a scammer’s trap.
Tips to Avoid Romance Phishing Scammers
When learning about the warning signs of a romance phishing scam it’s easy to think it could never happen to you. The fact is it could happen to anyone. According to the Federal Trade Commission, nearly 70,000 Americans were victims of romance phishing scammers in 2022. Scammers are good at what they do and are finding new ways to trick people every day. Luckily, there are a few steps you can take to decrease the chance you will become a victim of this cybercrime.
Only Use Trusted Dating Sites
Online dating has exploded in recent years, and it seems like new dating websites and apps are being created every day. This doesn’t mean that all these programs are trustworthy though. Do your research before signing up for a dating service and provide any information. Romance phishing scammers can create their own sites to capture your financial and personal information without even having to contact you. So, before you decide to sign up for a dating app, make sure it’s legitimate and not just a front for scams.
Do a Name-Reverse Search
Romance phishing scammers can appear on any dating platform so you must know how to spot them. When you become interested in someone’s profile, search for the person’s name to see what comes up. If search results give you a face matching the one on the profile in question, then they are likely the real deal. However, if a different person comes up in your search you will know the name and picture on the dating page are fake. By checking, you can avoid pain and financial loss.
Never Share Personal Information
Getting to know someone requires a certain level of sharing personal information, but some information should be secure at all times. Don’t share your addresses, login details including answers to password protection questions, or financial information. If the person you’re chatting with specifically asks for any of these, they could be a romance phishing scammer looking for a way to steal your money or sensitive data.
What to Do If You Get Scammed
Following these steps lessens the likelihood of losing important information to romance phishing scammers, but this cybercrime could still happen to anyone and anytime. If you suspect the person you’re talking with online is a scammer, stop communicating with them immediately. Do not confront them as the scammers will only deny it or disappear.
If you realize you’ve become victim to a romance phishing scam, don’t hide it. Report the incident to your financial institution so measures can be taken to prevent the cybercriminal from draining your accounts and even get your money back. It’s likely you weren’t this scammer’s only victim, so report their profile to the dating service you’re using and get their account deactivated. You should also report this crime to the FBI’s Internet Crime Complaint Center so they can help stop this cybercriminal.
Stop Scammers in Their Tracks with Strategy IT!
Romance phishing scammers can go after anyone and use affection as a weapon to steal your valuable assets like money or data. Knowing what a romance scam looks like will help you avoid and report them so that your information is always safe from these cyberattacks. But if you or someone you know has already become a victim of romance scams, Strategy IT can help by running a free dark web scan to see if your information was put online. Book a conversation with us to start securing your computer and network today.
