Victim loses $45,000 in suspected romance scam: OPP

A South Dundas Township resident suffered the “devastating ” loss of close to $45,000 — not to mention the immeasurable blow to their heart — in what the OPP are investigating as a romance scam.

On Wednesday, the resident reported to Stormont, Dundas and Glengarry OPP that they had been defrauded through an online dating site.

“The fraudster claimed that he needed to get a large sum of money via Bitcoin to assist him in getting a consignment box released by Puerto Rican custom authorities,” SD&G OPP said in a release Thursday.

It's an example of how criminals troll for victims of all ages on singles sites and social media platforms, and through email blasts.

“In some cases, prolonged interaction with individuals has cost some victims tens of thousands of dollars before the `relationship' suddenly ends, usually without ever meeting in person,” police warned. “Among the most vulnerable are seniors.”

Police and the Canadian Anti-Fraud Centre suggest that people first ask themselves “would someone I have never met really declare their love for me after only a few letters or emails?”

“If the answer is no, report it to police.”

Don't give out any personal information in an email or online chat, check out the person's name, company name and addresses used. Check website addresses carefully — scammers often set up fake sites with addresses similar to legitimate dating sites.