(Online Dating Industry Journal) According to the Internet Crime Complaint Center, online dating scams are among those taking a toll on victims.
The FBI Internet Crime Complaint Center has put out its annual report in which it addresses some of the biggest scams online from 2007.
From the report:
"Recent high activity scams commonly reported to the IC3 in 2007 were those involving pets, checks, spam, and online dating sites, all of which have proven effective as criminal devices in the hands of fraudsters...
Online dating and social networking sites also have figured prominently in scams reported to the IC3. Fraudsters use these sites as springboards for meeting people and committing what is commonly known as “romance fraud.”
Here’s how it works: After meeting someone at one of these sites, the fraudster tries to gain a person’s trust through false displays of affection. In most cases, the fraudster lives far away, usually in another country. The fraudster expresses an ardent desire to visit the person, but the fraudster cannot afford to make the trip. The scam is successful when the two agree to meet and the fraudster convinces the victim to send money to cover his travel expenses. Then, invariably, an unforeseen event (often an accident of some sort) prevents the fraudster from making the trip (or, at least, so goes the fraudster’s lie). The fraudster lands in the hospital, and now the victim’s money has to be used to cover medical expenses. The fraudster’s brother has been kidnapped, and now the money has to be used to set him free. The fraudster was mugged on her way to the airport, and now she has no money at all.
In any event, the fraudster always needs more money; and, if the fraudster’s success continues, he is able to obtain more money from the victim while making more promises to visit. The fraudster, however, always has an excuse for missing the plane, and the rounds of false promises and excuses continue until the victim loses patience and stops sending money."
According to the report, the majority of Internet fraud victims are male. More than $230 million is lost to various Internet frauds every year.
Joe's Comments
Online daters... educate yourself. Online dating services... help educate online daters.
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