Online Romance Scams Take Aim at Your Heart and Identity. Avoid these Red Flags

Online
dating
scams
are
on
the
RiseAccording
to
the
FBI,
Americans
lost
$1
billion
in
2021
due
to
online
dating
scams;
2022
numbers
are
expected
to
be
higher.  

Romance
scammers
are
masters
of
disguise.
They
lead
people
on
with
talk
of
love
and
then
attempt
to
trick
them
into
giving
money
or
personal
data.
As
demonstrated
by
The
Tinder
Swindler,
anyone
at
any
age
can
be
manipulated
into
a
romance
scam. 

Dating
sites
and
apps
are
a
convenient
and
easy
way
to
find
a
match.
They
also
present
an
ideal
opportunity
to
fool
unsuspecting
hearts
with
common
scams
like:
  

• pretending
  to
  be
  in
  a
  financial
  crisis  
• living
  out
  of
  state
  (and
  needing
  money
  to
  travel
  to
  meet
  you) 
• always
  having
  an
  excuse
  as
  to
  why
  they
  can’t
  meet
  in
  person 

Of
course,
not
all
tactics
are
as
obvious
as
the
above.
Be
suspicious
of
someone
who
asks
you
to
move
your
communication
off
the
dating
site/app
to
a
different
platform;
this
could
be
a
sign
that
the
person
is
trying
to
avoid
detection,
being
flagged
or
that
they
want
to
share
a
malicious
link
for
you
to
click
on. 

To
protect
your
heart,
data
and
identity
while
online
dating: 

• Never
  give
  money
  or
  private
  data
  like
  birth
  dates
  and
  bank
  account
  numbers.   

• Trust
  your
  instincts;
  if
  it
  feels
  too
  fast
  or
  good
  to
  be
  true,
  it
  probably
  is.
  Scammers
  often
  claim
  to
  have
  fallen
  in
  love
  very
  quickly
  or
  without
  having
  met
  their
  “match”
  in
  person.  

• Don’t
  send
  intimate
  pictures
  or
  videos.
  Scammers
  may
  use
  them
  to
  extort
  money
  from
  you. 

• Don’t
  share
  your
  address,
  daily
  routine
  or
  places
  you
  visit
  frequently  

• Use
  a
  dating
  site/app
  that
  offers
  security
  features,
  such
  as
  the
  ability
  to
  verify
  the
  identity
  of
  others. 

• Do
  your
  research,
  consider
  using
  a
  background
  check
  service
  to
  verify
  a
  person’s
  identity.
  And
  don’t
  forget
  about
  your
  own
  identity.
  Enroll
  in
  an
  identity
  and
  data
  protection
  service
  to
  further
  protect
  yourself.  

Webroot
antivirus
with
Allstate
Identity
Protection
provides
the
much-needed
extra
layers
to
protect
your
data
and
identity
from
scammers
looking
for
more
than
your
heart. 
To
learn
more
visit
webroot.com

About Author

AndyC

Andy Curtis is an award-winning security consultant, researcher and public speaker. He has been working in the computer security industry since the early 1990s, having been employed by state and federal government, leading healthcare and banking providers across three continents. He has given talks about computer security for some of the world’s largest companies, worked with law enforcement agencies on investigations into hacking groups, and is a regular voice on TV and radio explaining IT security threats.

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