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More than 200 cases of romance fraud were reported in Ireland in 2020 and as Valentine’s Day approaches, gardai urges the public to be more vigilant.
The victims were men and women and of all age groups, and the average amount of money lost exceeded 20,000 euros.
And more recently, scammers have been targeting vulnerable people with learning disabilities to pull off the sick scam.
In a recent case, an Irish victim developed a relationship with a woman from the United States on a dating website. For several months she asked him for money and, in total, the victim suffered a loss of more than € 21,000 (in five different transactions).
A garda spokesperson warned: “This particular fraud is enabled through online dating sites or other social media by scammers who will provide victims with well-prepared stories designed to deceive. Victims develop online relationships with scammers, using false identities, photographs and life stories. Inevitably, the fraudster will ask his victim for money. The fraudster will keep asking for money until the victim has no more money to give or realizes that they are being deceived. it leaves vulnerable people with a sense of pain and mistrust in addition to their financial losses. “
Warning signs include:
• The scammer asks the victim to communicate via instant messages, text messages or phone calls instead of messages through the dating website.
• The scammer will start asking for money for various reasons, starting with low amounts: to pay for the trip to meet the victim – to pay for moving expenses (send furniture and pay customs)
– to pay the medical expenses of a sick child or family member
– invest in a guaranteed business opportunity
– to pay a tax bill or other false reason
• There are no face-to-face meetings. The fraudster will present reasons for not meeting, or can arrange to meet and then cancel
• The scammer will avoid personal questions, but will ask a lot
• They will request that money be transferred to bank accounts abroad or through money transfer agencies to locations outside of Ireland.
• Telephone calls from Irish numbers or accommodations to Irish bank accounts should not be considered as proof that the person is genuine.
Detective Superintendent Pat Lordan of the Garda National Bureau of Economic Crimes reports to the public as follows:
• STOP AND THINK! ASK YOURSELF, IS THIS PERSON REAL? – If a person with whom you have an online relationship asks you for money
• NEVER share personal or banking information with strangers online.
• NEVER receive or send money to strangers.
• THINK twice before using a webcam (intimate images can be used to blackmail).
• TRUST YOUR INSTINCTS – If it sounds like it’s too good to be true, it probably isn’t.
• IF IN DOUBT, talk to a family member or friend.
• If you have been a victim of this type of crime, confidentially report it to your local Garda station.
• If you are the guardian or friend of someone with intellectual difficulties, be alert to the dangers of romantic fraud.
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