EDMONTON – It’s a heartbreaking scheme that usually goes unreported, since victims are often too embarrassed to come forward.
So as part of Fraud Prevention month, police are urging Canadians to protect themselves when meeting people online.
“These people are specifically targeting these victims, and they’re robbing these people because they’re going after their emotions,” explains Cst. Nadine Swist with the Edmonton Police Service.
What to watch for:
Beware of sympathetic stories and an online love working or living overseas. The photos and names they are are usually stolen and they will always ask you to wire money.
“Sometimes you’ll hear of a few thousand dollars, and sometimes you’ll hear of tens of thousands of dollars where people have lost their money and they don’t have any chance of getting it back,” says Cst. Swist.
She adds to also watch out if the person seems to move too fast.
“Red flags might start to go up if they want to build a long term relationship or start calling you sweetie or honey after only having talked to you for a couple of days.”
Tip to avoid getting scammed:
To catch a romance scammer, ask them to send you a silly or unusual photo – for instance, one in which they are holding a pink flower or a pot on their head. It’s not a photo they can steal online, so you can catch them in their lies.
Cst. Swist also recommends searching the person’s name on Google.
You can also consult the Romance Scams website for more information.
With files from Julie Matthews, Global News
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