Scam Alert Saturday!

This week’s scam is commonly referred to as a 𝑹𝒐𝒎𝒂𝒏𝒄𝒆 𝑺𝒄𝒂𝒎. These scams occur when scammers on dating sites, Facebook, Instagram, or any online form of communication, pretend to be a romantic interest to an unsuspecting victim.

The scammer will pose as a fake person, even stealing someone’s profile photo. Once a “relationship” is developed with the victim, they will eventually ask for money for an emergency or an investment.

“What sets romance scams apart from other scams, says Mark Solomon, president of the International Association of Financial Crimes Investigators, is that instead of an urgent appeal for immediate payment, as occurs with IRS imposters and many other schemes, the criminal moves slowly. They will communicate many times, he notes, sometimes over a span of weeks or months, to gain the victim’s trust ‘and make an emotional connection.’”

Read more about how to spot and avoid this scam: https://www.aarp.org/money/scams-fraud/romance/