That online Prince Charming or Snow White may well be a skilled manipulator who wants to gain your trust and empty your wallet, but you can protect your savings—and your heart
By Pascal Forget
You can meet someone online with just a few clicks, but caution is essential. Fake suitors, often located on the other side of the world, will shower their victims with compliments and promise them eternal love after only a few conversations. In reality, it’s all designed to steal their money.
Known as a romance scam, or catfishing, this scheme may employ social media, dating sites or apps, emails, or text messages. It can have serious consequences, including shame, depression, and financial loss. For some victims, the end of the (fake) romantic relationship can be as painful as the loss of their money.
How It Unfolds
To begin, the fraudster creates an attractive fake profile on a dating site or social network, using photos that are stolen or AI generated. In most cases, they describe themselves as a professional who is financially comfortable or someone working abroad. After finding and contacting their victim, they use deception to draw them in but will make up excuses to avoid meeting in person or even by video call. And for good reason: at the other end, the fraudster is a team of people who work in shifts to respond quickly, at any hour of the day.
Once trust is established, the fraudster will use one of several common pretexts to extract money from the victim: a family emergency (medical costs for a sick child or loved one), the need to buy a plane ticket or get a visa, which they will supposedly use to visit the victim, or financial difficulties (stolen wallet, frozen bank account).
They may also lure victims with investment opportunities, especially cryptocurrency. The amounts requested may be small at the beginning, but they will inevitably increase over time.
To unsettle the victim, the sweet talker may become more aggressive or threatening if the answer is no. Their goal is to keep stealing the victim’s money for as long as possible.
WARNING SIGNS
• If you come across a recent profile that includes very few friends and posts, it’s probably completely made up.
• Is the person who is pursuing you speaking of love before they’ve even met you in person? Something smells fishy!
• They will come up with excuses not to meet you in person or by video call—another worrisome sign.
• If they suggest that you leave the dating app and message them by text or on WhatsApp, beware: they’re trying to leave a secure platform. Dating sites, for example, are secure: conversations are moderated, recorded, and sometimes observed.
• Have they asked you to keep the relationship a secret from your loved ones? Watch out—the goal is to isolate you.
• Any request for money, whatever the reason, is a major red flag.
What to Do
Preventing romance fraud is fairly simple. If there are any red flags, such as messages coming from an unknown person or a suspicious profile, or if a new flame you’ve met online refuses to meet in person, it’s best to block their profile on social media or in the app. You can also report the account so it can be deactivated.
In case of fraud, it’s best to act quickly, first by cutting ties with the scammer by ignoring their messages and calls. That’s the most effective way to put an end to their scheming. Next, contact the police and report their actions to the Canadian Anti-Fraud Centre.
If you’ve made financial transfers or sent payment in- formation, contact your financial institution right away so that it is aware of the situation and can block any pending payments. They can then help you change any com- promised financial information.
