LOVE IS BLIND

SO YOU BETTER WEAR GLASSES

ROMANCE SCAMS CONTINUE TO RISE

Romance swindlers con thousands of men and women each year. In fact, the FTC reports that in 2020 romance scams were up a whopping 50% from 2019, setting a record of $304 million in losses. The newest FTC report shows that in 2021 these scams were up 80% from 2020 and totaled $547 million in losses to online romance scammers.


As the pandemic and lockdowns continued, online dating escalated as many singles turned to online dating for social connection or distraction. It isn't the online dating apps that are at issue; it's the scammers taking advantage of people who are legitimately looking for love. These criminals aren't looking for a soulmate, they are looking for victims who are 'love blind'. 


According to the FBI, romance scams, also known as 'confidence' or 'identity' scams, result in the highest amounts of financial losses when compared to other internet-facilitated crimes with an average loss of more than $100,000 per victim. 


As with all catfishing schemes, your new paramour will say all the right things, promise love, and eventually... they will ask for money. Always. I will repeat that... eventually, a romance scammer will ALWAYS ask for money.


You may wonder how folks could fall for such a thing. Keep in mind, scammers have all the time in the world to develop seemingly meaningful relationships. After all, this is their full-time job. Watch the videos below to see just how these scammers work.


As always be safe and well,

Beth McCann

Denver District Attorney


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CATFISH SPOTTING


"I hate to ask, but I am in a bit of a bind and I need to borrow some money."


A romance scam happens when a person gets tricked into believing they are in a romantic relationship with someone they met online. But the online match is a scammer using a fake identity to gain enough of their victim’s trust to ask for or to blackmail them for money. After weeks or months of dating online, a romance scammer will begin to fish for money. If you or someone you know has struck up an online romance, check for warning signs to determine if you are dealing with a scammer.


No matter how genuine they sound, no matter how hard it is to break up, stop all contact with the person. You may have to change your password and block the scammer.


If you have a friend or loved one who insists their online love is real, it can be frustrating to convince them that they are being victimized by a scam artist. Scammers may even try to alienate the victim from family and friends. Continue reminding your friend of the red flags that you observe. Do not give up, otherwise, your love-blind friend may find themselves out of a significant amount of money in addition to a broken heart.


FTC Romance Scams



3 Women Victimized By 'Romance Scams' Share Their Stories


CLICK HERE FOR

RED FLAGS OF A ROMANCE SCAM

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Think You've Been Scammed?

Call our fraud line. Fraud and scam specialists will help you.

720-913-9179

Do you find the tips in ScamSpotter helpful? Feel free to forward this email or copy the content. Make sure you are signed up to receive ScamSpotter every month. email amc@denverda.or

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PROTECT YOURSELF

FROM FRAUD AND SCAMS


We offer FREE presentations on how to protect yourself and your identity from scams. You will learn to spot the red flags of scams and what to do if your identity is compromised.

Call or email to schedule a "Stand Up Against Fraud" presentation. for your organization.


Contact

Maro Casparian| amc@denverda.org

720-913-9036

Denver District Attorney | www.denverda.org

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