Online Dating is very popular, but unfortunately so is scamming people with romance scams. You can be sure this Valentine's Day that scammers are also out ready to make a connection.
Scams This Week 2/14/22
February 14, 2022
The Photo Scam:
A scammer will create a fake profile and reach out via social media or dating platforms. After some conversation, they will request intimate photos. They may even provide intimate photos, but you can be sure those are not who you are actually chatting with.
Once you send the photos, then comes the blackmail. The profile is now stating that unless you pay up they will send the pictures out to your family and friends. Even if you do pay, they will want more money. If you don't continue to meet their demands they will continue to threaten to send the pictures out to family and friends. Even when victims of this scam pay, these scammers have been known to send the pictures out to family and friends anyway.
We all know once photos are out on the internet or sent digitally, they are out there forever. So DON'T send pictures that you do not want your family to see, especially to someone you have never met.
The Sugar Daddy Scam:
This type of scam is very popular on social media right now. This is where a scammer creates a fake profile and sends you a request. The image used by the scammer is usually a provocatively dressed female. Once you accept their request to follow, an offer comes from the profile that they will send more explicit photos or videos for subscription or money. This is a way for the scammer to obtain your banking information and personal identifying information for identity theft and credit card fraud.
The reverse of that is when the "Sugar Daddy" or "Sugar Momma" is the scammer. In this scam, the profile offers money for explicit images or videos. Just like the Photo Romance Scam, this quickly turns into blackmail, and unless you pay the video is sent to friends and family.
The Confidence Scam:
With the popularity of Online Dating sites, scammers adopted fake online identity, or take over (catfish) someone’s identity and then tries to connect with people. They develop a relationship, endear themselves to the victim, and once trust is gained, they began asking for money or asking the victim to accept funds and transfer money.
Some common excuses for needing money or being unable to communicate in a normal setting include:
- They are in the Military or are being deployed and out of the country.
- They are out of the country and unable to travel back due to Covid regulations.
As a general reminder, do not give personal identifying information, buy plane tickets for, or pay someone you haven’t met. Don't accept money from someone you have not met and never move communication off dating sites to less secure social media platforms.
Find more scam prevention tips on our website.
Contact: Boise Police Media Relations