Spot Romance Scam Red Flags

You meet someone online and sparks fly! You’re texting all day and night.  They tell you how much they care about you, but they just can’t meet in person.  You let it slide because you think they’re great!  Then they ask you to wire them money for a family emergency.  You have the money and you don’t want to let them down… should you send  the cash? 

Don’t fall prey to a romance scam.  Learn the signs and how to protect yourself.  

Romance scams are especially heartbreaking. Fraudsters create fake online profiles to win people’s trust and affection while preying on their desire for connection.  They build a strong emotional bond very quickly, making it tough to see the signs of a scam.  Scammers will then usually ask for financial assistance for a fake emergency situation.  By the time the victim realizes it was a scam, the swindler disappears and never reaches out again.  

Beware of romance scams, on Valentine’s Day and all year long.  Keep yourself safe by recognizing red flags.  

• They ask you to wire them money, send them gift cards, or buy crypto  
• Relationships that develop very quickly
• Requesting to move off of the dating app very quickly
• They never agree to meet in person or plans to meet repeatedly get cancelled. 
• They seem to be too good to be true.   

How to stay safe: 

• Limit the information you post about yourself online.  
• Google their name and do a “reverse image search” on their picture.   
• Be wary of “Love Bombing,” the practice of bombarding a potential victim with affection to make them drop their defenses.  
• Cut off contact immediately if you suspect fraud
• Contact the authorities and reach out to the Credit Union if you believe you have been scammed.