Online dating scams are an issue that has grown exponentially in recent years. Total losses to romance scams in the US have eclipsed $1 billion three times in the last five years. With how much information we put on dating platforms and social media, scammers have the ability to “swipe right” on individuals they believe will be susceptible to their ploys. We are left vulnerable to the nefarious acts of cybercriminals simply for our innate desire to connect with others as social creatures. However, understanding the potential risks and knowing how to protect yourself can help you avoid online dating scams.
What Are Online Dating Scams?
“Online dating scam” is an encompassing term that describes any scheme used to exploit individuals online. However, the term also commonly describes scams that take advantage of those looking for a virtual romantic connection. Victims can become blinded by their emotions, leaving them susceptible to the manipulation of a malicious actor. These ploys are typically carried out by doing the following:
- Using a fictitious profile to pose as a potential romantic suitor on social media or dating platforms. This is also known as catfishing.
- Employing social engineering techniques to gain the target’s trust and build an emotional bond before committing some form of dating app blackmail.
The Five Most Common Types of Online Dating Scams
The first type of cybercrime is called a romance scam. In this dating scam, the perpetrator lures in their target through catfishing or manipulation. They quickly form a relationship and then begin asking for gifts and money after building trust. The following are three common romance scams to be aware of:
- Military Impersonation: According to the FTC, this is the most popular excuse used by scammers to not meet in person. As the name implies, military impersonation involves posing as a service member online to garner sympathy and establish relationships. Being a form of romance scam, they eventually request money for reasons such as being stuck in a war zone or needing funds to return home. They prey on individuals who have an appreciation for military service.
- Oil Rig Romance Scam: Similarly, oil rig scammers pose as forlorn workers stuck on an offshore worksite and target lonely, trusting individuals online. They will create excuses to not meet or video call, such as inclement weather or long hours of labor, while they build their dishonest relationship. They will then begin asking for money due to frozen credit cards, broken equipment, or to travel to see their victim.
- Sugar Daddy/Momma Scams: Sugar Daddies or Mommas are older individuals who pay a young person in exchange for companionship. This may sound like an opportunity that is too good to be true, and it often is. These scammers target people in financial distress, such as college students, and offer help. They may ask you to send funds first to prove your devotion or ask for your personal information to process transactions. They can then use this data for online blackmailor identity theft.
Sextortion Scams
This online dating scam is about exploiting those at their most vulnerable. Scammers begin by establishing a level of trust with the target before quickly turning the conversation sexual. They will request explicit photos and may even gain favor by sending “explicit content” first. Of course, in most cases, the content they send is not authentic or stolen. Once they’ve obtained the victim’s photos, they demand money with threats to expose them to friends, family, and professional contacts.
Investment Scams
This online dating scam is less about romance and more about money. Victims are catfished by internet dating fraudsters posing as wealthy, attractive individuals. They form a connection with the target before proposing an alleged investment opportunity that can make them rich.
Also known as “pig butchering” scams, these ploys often include fake investment websites that show large returns as a way to encourage further investment. In actuality, these websites extract the victim’s financial information and collect payments while denying requests to withdraw funds.
Money Laundering Scams
Money laundering scams occur when the perpetrator coerces the victim to unwittingly transfer illegal funds. These crimes are commonly committed under the guise of sending money to a loved one or conducting a business deal. They may even openly ask the victim to commit fraud after establishing trust through social engineering, making them their “money mule”.
Escort Scams
You may come across an escort ad online and desire to pursue their services, only to be met with requests for money. They may blackmail you with threats of sending their procurer to confront you or reporting your activity to authorities if solicitation is illegal in your area.
Signs of Online Dating Scams
While each case is different, there are some consistent signs that can let you know if you’re being scammed while using dating apps and other platforms. If any of the following are happening to you, it may be time to break off your cyber relationship.
Love Bombing
Perpetrators of online dating scams move quickly. They often declare love early in the conversation and bombard you with compliments and affection. While some innocent flirting is expected in online relationships, be wary of individuals who come on too strong at an early stage of communication. This is also known as “love bombing”.
Excuses for Not Meeting in Person
If your courter has endless reasons for not showing their face, they likely aren’t who they say. Excuses for not meeting in person may include job obligations, military service, or inability to travel. They may explain an inability to join video calls due to poor internet service or not having a webcam.
Request for Money
Dating scammers often make requests for money or gifts after establishing a fraudulent relationship. They may also give you convincing reasons such as medical bills, travel expenses, or a family emergency.
Poor Grammar
Many of these cybercriminals live outside of the US. Specifically, many operations have been traced to the Ivory Coast, Philippines, and Nigeria. Be wary of profiles that claim to be native English speakers but struggle to articulate their messages.
The Real-World Story of Annette Ford
Annette Ford, a 57-year-old woman from Western Australia, lost her $780,000 life savings and her home after falling victim to two separate online dating scams. The first began when she joined the dating site “Plenty of Fish” after her husband of 33 years ended their marriage.
She quickly met a man going by the name of William. After months of conversation, William explained that he’d been attacked and mugged outside of his work site, landing him with a $5,000 hospital bill that he was unable to pay.
Once Ford offered financial assistance, the requests began coming in more rapidly. She grew suspicious and even confronted William with concerns that he was a scammer. However, he managed to dismiss these concerns and ultimately stole over $300,000 and drained her self-managed super fund.
Four years later, Ford was in contact with another dating scammer named Nelson on Facebook. He claimed to have a friend who worked for the FBI and initially asked for $2,500 to help with an investigation. Nelson then began sending her money to deposit into a Bitcoin ATM in a likely money laundering dating scam.
This gave the scammer access to Ford’s bank account and led to unauthorized transactions. She said that “Money was coming into my account and going out of my account that I wasn’t even aware of,” culminating in another $280,000 lost and two unsuccessful trips to try to visit him. After sustaining an injury overworking herself trying to restore her lost funds, Ford now relies on government benefits and is applying for disability support pension.
Steps to Avoid Online Dating Scams
The best way to combat online dating scams is to take precautionary measures. Our experts suggest the following practices to avoid falling victim to a dating scheme.
- Verify Identities. Confirm that the person you are speaking with is actually who they claim. Perform a reverse image search on any images they have on their profile and be cautious of accounts that have been recently created.
- Never Send Money. Whether a scammer is blackmailing you or using social engineering tactics to coerce you, do not make any payments. Sad stories may tempt you to lend a helping hand, but you should never send money to somebody you’ve never met.
- Don’t Share Private Data. You should never exchange personal information online with anybody you don’t know. Sharing private or explicit content opens the door for cybercrimes like sextortion.
- Avoid Clicking Suspicious Links. Any attachments or URLs sent to you can contain malware that could infect your device and expose you to potential extortion. Refrain from opening anything from an unfamiliar sender.
- Use Video Chats to Confirm Identity. These are harder to fake than images or voice calls. However, the advancement of deepfake technology is allowing for more convincing video call forgery.
- Check for Inconsistencies. Many scammers are attacking multiple targets at once. If they can’t keep their story straight and constantly mix up information, it may be a sign that your online relationship is actually a dating scam.
- Report and Block Dating Scammers. If you haven’t relinquished any private information or funds to the scammer, you should block them and report their account to the platform’s system administrator. This can help have their account removed and prevent them from harming you or others. Many platforms, such as Instagram, will also block new accounts created with the same credentials.
What to Do If You Are a Victim of An Online Dating Scam
If you’ve already been targeted in a dating scam, you need to act quickly. You should proceed with the following course of action:
- Stop Communication. Don’t engage the dating scammer any further but refrain from blocking the account. Leave the conversation open until you have collected the necessary evidence and conducted a proper investigation.
- Take Inventory and Collect Evidence. Take screenshots and gather proof of any threats, transactions, manipulation tactics, and other data that will create a clear and undeniable timeline of the crimes committed against you.
- Report to Authorities and System Administrators. Begin with filing a police report with local law enforcement who may be able to help if the perpetrator is within their jurisdiction. If they can’t resolve the issue, the FTC and FBI have resources available that can assist you, such as the IC3 cybercrime database. They may also launch a dating scam investigation to find the perpetrator responsible. You can learn how to report criminals to the FBI in our article on reporting cybercriminals to the FBI.
- Secure Your Accounts. Update your passwords and login credentials. Check for any unauthorized login attempts. You should also review the privacy settings of your accounts on any platforms the scammer could have access to.
- Run a Malware Scan. It’s important to run a virus scan if you’ve opened any links or attachments that have been sent to you. You should also check your device for any programs that you have not installed.
- Seek Assistance from Cybersecurity Experts. Cybersecurity and digital forensics firms can help investigate and prevent future cyber-attacks. They may also be able to recover stolen funds depending on the payment method and how long it has been since the money transfer.
Professional Help for Victims of Online Dating Scams
Digital Forensics Corp. is here to help in the event of falling victim to an online dating scam. Our team of experts have years of experience combatting sextortion and other online dating site scams on other online platforms.
We can take over communication with the scammer and help remove any leverage they have over you. We can also examine the metadata of content shared, identifying the location of the criminal, and helping bring them to justice.
If you believe you may be a victim of a dating scam, reach out to our Blackmail Helpline today for a complimentary and confidential consultation.
