Looking for love this Valentine’s Day? Beware of romance scams

Millions of people use online dating apps or social networking sites to meet someone. But instead of finding romance, many find a scammer trying to trick them into sending money.

Romance scammers create fake profiles on dating sites and apps or contact you through popular social media sites like Instagram or Facebook. The scammers strike up a relationship with you to build up trust, sometimes talking or chatting several times a day. Then, they make up a story and ask for money. Victims are pressured into sending cash, checks, wire transfers, or gift cards, making recovery difficult once the fraud is detected.

According to the Federal Trade Commission, online romance scams cost consumers more than $1 billion annually, with median losses of $2,000 per individual, the highest of any form of imposter scam. 

To avoid losing money to a romance scammer, never send money or gifts to a sweetheart you haven’t met in person.

If you suspect a romance scam, the FTC says:

• Stop communicating with the person immediately.
• Talk to someone you trust. Do your friends or family say they’re concerned about your new love interest?
• Search online for the type of job the person has plus the word “scammer.” Have other people posted similar stories? For example, search for “oil rig scammer” or “US Army scammer.”
• Do a reverse image search of the person’s profile picture. Is it associated with another name or with details that don’t match up? Those are signs of a scam.

If you or someone you know has been targeted by a romance scam involving the mail, report it to the U.S. Postal Inspection Service at www.uspis.gov/report. Victims should also notify their local law enforcement agency and the Federal Trade Commission at reportfraud.ftc.gov.

Stay with News Channel 3 for more.