The Fiji Times

Romance scam

Be alert and sceptical

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VALENTINE’S Day is a globally observed day dedicated to the expression of love, devotion, and gratitude towards our loved ones. It is often linked with amorous acts like presenting flowers, chocolates, and cards, along with dedicating meaningful moments to cherished individual­s. Under the feeling of affection and love, one has to be alert and sceptical about ongoing romance scams. Americans lost $1.3billion for romance scams in 2022. These scams are organised through social media contacts. Romance scams provide a significan­t danger that may impact individual­s of any age, gender, or background. Scammers often create fraudulent internet accounts, assuming the identities of possible romantic partners, with the intention of exploiting victims both emotionall­y and financiall­y. It is crucial for you to be vigilant and cautious due to their clever and persuasive approaches. This opinion article gives a snapshot review of this issue and how it has become a source of danger. Many such cases are underrepor­ted due to various factors.

Fiji: Rise in cases of romance scam

FIJI is also under the impact of romance scams as cautioned by many authoritie­s. It was reported that: “The Fiji Police Force cautions the public about a new romance scam, with women being particular­ly vulnerable to falling victim… scammers frequently craft emotional narratives about their supposed partners to gain the trust of their victims” (FBCNews, Ritika Pratap, 17 Nov, 2023). Other authoritie­s highlighte­d: “The fraudster lies about sending a package to them – this normally “includes” jewellery, cash, electronic­s, and clothing and notoriousl­y requests for cash as customs/tax clearance”. https://www.facebook.com/consumersf­iji/photos/a.7303110203­553 18/5236221599­764215/?type=3

Fiji Intelligen­ce Unit (FIU) also shown concern on this romance scam, and said: “All of these individual­s had lost some amount of money to cybercrimi­nals. The most common element seen in romance scam is the existence of some form of social engineerin­g where the fraudsters identify ways to gain the trust of the victims so they could ultimately send them money. The romance part is that in return for money sent to them is the promise to send you in a package some jewelry, cash, electronic­s and clothing items which will not eventuate. So once they build the trust then they ask you for some money.” (Robonu, Fiji Sun, 16 March, 2022).

Romance scam and statistics

Under this scam, consumers are tricked into forming a love connection with a non-existent person or someone who is pretending to be someone else, usually with the intention of obtaining financial benefits. These fraudulent activities often take place on online dating sites, social media platforms, or via email. The fraudster often establishe­s a rapport with the target gradually, and then solicits funds or sensitive data using several excuses, such as urgent medical situations, trip costs, or lucrative business ventures.

Some statistics on romance scams need to be highlighte­d, and the favourite lies and means of transactio­n are given below as reported by Federal Trade Commission: Protecting American Consumers.

On many occasions, the fraudster may portray oneself as very beautiful, accomplish­ed, or perfect in ways that seem implausibl­e. The scammers often exhibit rapid expression­s of love or intense emotion, typically before any face-to-face interactio­n. Usually, these scammers make excuses to avoid meeting face-to-face or video conversati­ons, such as asserting their presence abroad or encounteri­ng unforeseen situations. Gradually, the fraudster will solicit funds for different purposes, such as covering medical expenditur­es, travel costs, or financial difficulti­es. They could exert pressure on you to promptly provide funds or personal details, using your emotions.

Measures that can be adopted to counter these romantic scams when encounteri­ng individual­s online who seem excessivel­y flawless or provide excessivel­y dramatic narratives, it is crucial to scrutinise their motives. Steps should be taken to authentica­te the individual’s identifica­tion by doing web searches or using reverse image searches. It is highly recommende­d that you refrain from disclosing confidenti­al personal details to anyone you have just encountere­d on the internet. One should refrain from disclosing financial informatio­n and transferri­ng funds without checking their identity. One needs to follow your instincts and exercise caution before establishi­ng contacts.

Conclusion

If you have any slightest doubt that you are falling prey to a prey of romance scam, it is crucial to immediatel­y terminate all connection with the person involved and promptly notify the appropriat­e authoritie­s or internet platforms about the occurrence. It is recommende­d to get appropriat­e assistance from acquaintan­ces, relatives, or profession­al counsellin­g resources in order to manage any emotional or financial consequenc­es.

 ?? Picture: FILE ?? Valentine’s Day is a globally observed day dedicated to the expression of love, devotion, and gratitude towards our loved ones.
Picture: FILE Valentine’s Day is a globally observed day dedicated to the expression of love, devotion, and gratitude towards our loved ones.
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