Warning issued over online dating ‘romance scam’
Residents have been alerted to a criminal online dating scheme involving individuals who try to swindle money out of victims.
Detective Chief Inspector Jason Smith, of the Bermuda Police Service, said there had been about 15 to 20 cases of “romance scams” over the past year.
The BPS and the Bermuda Bankers Association issued a joint statement that warned about the tricks.
It said: “Romance scams begin with a criminal and victim meeting virtually through an online dating or social networking site.
“The criminal will try to develop a relationship, sometimes making the victim feel they are in a romantic relationship. This could happen over a period of days, weeks or even months.
“The criminal will then ask for money or confidential personal information such as bank account or credit card details.
“Often, the scammer will say that they are in another city or country and that they eventually want to meet the victim in person.
“Around this time, the criminal will note that they can’t afford to travel and will seek assistance from the victim in covering travel costs.
“A variation on this theme includes the criminal noting that there’s an emergency, a sick family member for example, and that they need financial help from the victim to visit the sick individual.
“The requests for help are a scam and the money wired by the victim, often in large amounts, is now in the hands of the criminal.”
The BPS and BBA said people should always consider the possibility that a recent match on a social media or a dating site might be a scammer.
They said that warning signs of a scam include:
• Your new friend moves too fast. Scammers are trying to develop a quick relationship with you so be on your guard when someone professes their love to you
• If your love interest asks you to send money or for payments in gift cards, cryptocurrency or through a wire transfer, be very suspicious
• Does your new friend have an online profile? Look for inconsistencies between what they post and what they tell you. If you’re suspicious of them, post their profile picture through your browser’s reverse image search to see if it’s been stolen from the internet
• If you receive a message from your friend and they use the wrong name, that may be a red flag. Many of these fraudsters are working on multiple victims at the same time
• Scammers will claim that they live close to you but that they’re working overseas. They do this so that they have numerous reasons to ask for you for money. Be on your guard
• If you receive a cheque or another form of payment from someone you've met online and they ask you to cash it and send a portion of the funds back to them, don't do it. This is known as the “overpayment” scam
* Information provided by the Bermuda Police Service and Bermuda Bankers Association
Mr Smith said that some people had been blackmailed when a perpetrator asked for naked or compromising photos of their victim and threatened to post the images on the internet unless they received funds.
He said: “We have seen cases where people have been meeting on platforms and [the scammers] are encouraging them to send a nude picture.
“They then demand x-amount of money saying they will post the picture to embarrass or humiliate them.
“Some have fallen prey to them and given money. We have reports of people paying thousands of dollars.
“Be aware of romance scams in a general sense. What has been reported to us is in the region of 15 or 20 scams but there are definitely a lot more.
“It is nothing new but because of a heightened awareness around scams, more people have tuned into it and are reporting the crimes.”
Police and the BBA recently formed an alliance to tackle scammers who fraudulently target bank accounts.
The partnership came as the BPS reported that 162 people fell victim to scammers who netted about $4.5 million last year.
Mr Smith added: “The partnership with the BBA is working as you can see with this media release — we are working together and raising awareness.”
Anyone who suspects they are being targeted in a romance scam or any other form of fraud should report it to police.
Information about financial crime, as well as tools that are available to assist consumers and small businesses, is available on the BBA website at bermudabankers.org/for-consumers-and-businesses.
Information is also available on the websites and social-media channels of Bermuda’s four licensed banks.
You must be Registered or to post comment or to vote.
