SASKATOON – Once a fraudster has a victim under their spell, next they will reach for the wallet, all the while declaring their ‘undying love’ for them.
Lying about love is not a crime, but if a con man/woman defrauds or steals, justice can be served.
A romance fraud involves feigned amorous intentions towards a victim to gaining their trust before taking financial advantage of that person.
Fraudulent acts may involve gaining access to the victim’s money, bank accounts, credit cards, passports or email accounts. They can also acquire personal information to commit fraudulent crimes in the victim’s name.
Con men/women are targeting anyone looking for love or companionship.
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Poetry and gifts are being used to lure people in a false sense of companionship before their money disappears along with the relationship.
Perpetrators of romance fraud can strike anywhere: at work, on vacation, online, at the bar or even places of worship.
In order to protect against romance scams, the province’ fraud investigators are asking people to acknowledge that any lonely person can be a target.
A con artist’s optimum victim is trusting and emotionally vulnerable.
If a strong social, sexual or financial relationship starts to develop rather quickly, be cynical. If it’s too good to be true, then it probably is.
Introduce friends and family to new relationships and ask for feedback. They can be objective and may see things that have been clouded by emotion and excitement.
Remember, fraudsters will meet the victim’s relatives/friends, but any attempt to meet with theirs is often halted by excuses. Be cautious of men and women who have no apparent connections with relatives, friends or colleagues.
If a con is suspected, end the relationship immediately and change locks, pin numbers and passwords.
Contact the local police department and also report the con to The Canadian Anti-Fraud Centre at 1-888-495-8501.
Police are not there to judge, but to investigate and prosecute fraudsters.
Although it may be difficult to admit they’ve been fooled, overcoming that reluctance could stop this from happening to another victim.
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