Following the arrest of 80 people including Nigerians based
in Los Angeles by the FBI for involvement in romance scams and wire fraud, the
US Federal Trade Commission has released a report on scams that prey on
vulnerable people cost Americans more money than any other fraud reported to
the agency last year.
According to the new report, more than 21,000 people were scammed
into sending $143 million in such schemes in 2018 alone.
"Reports indicate the scammers are active on dating
apps, but also on social media sites that aren't generally used for dating. For
example, many people say the scam started with a Facebook message," the
FTC says.
As online dating becomes more popular and romance scams
increase, the FTC warns people to become suspicious of any online relationship
if:
The person wants to leave the dating site immediately and
use personal email or messaging
The person is fast to claim love
They say they're traveling or working internationally
He or she says they want to visit but don't have the money
because, for example, a business deal went sour
They ask for money without meeting face-to-face
