How not to star in a rom-con
With £7.9 million lost to romance scams in the first half of 2019 alone, the risks of looking for love online are real, says
But how can you avoid being catfished?
AFTER Thomas received a message request from someone on social media, he thought she was “beautiful, funny and kind”, and they spoke every day over several months.
“Looking back now, I can’t believe how easy it was for her to take advantage of me – I had no idea she was tricking me into giving out my personal details so she could get money,” he says now.
Thomas, an HSBC customer, was being scammed and his personal details were used to apply for payday loans. Thankfully, he says bank staff were calm and helpful and acted quickly to help get the matter resolved.
But he adds: “I have now shut down my social media account because I don’t want to get into a relationship with anyone else that way. It’s going to take me a long time to get over this and be able to trust anybody again.”
With the internet now playing a huge part in how people socialise and look for love, romance scams can be a real danger.
Trade association UK Finance says £7.9 million was lost to romance scams in the first half of 2019, a 50% increase on the previous year.
Here’s how to spot a romance scam, and how your bank can help...
IT’S a cruel con where people are manipulated into thinking they are in a relationship with fraudsters who steal their money.
Typically, people are approached online by someone using a fake profile with a photo that’s been copied from elsewhere.
Criminals will then try to establish a rapport quickly, asking lots of personal questions but revealing little about themselves.
They may also make excuses for why they cannot meet up in person, but will try to move the conversation off a dating website and onto instant messaging or texts instead to continue the scam. 1. WHEN talking to someone new online, do not give out any personal information and be wary, particularly if they ask you to send them money. If in doubt, talk to someone close such as a family member or a friend, or speak to bank staff. 2. PHOTOS can give clues. If you search an image and it’s linked to multiple profiles, it may indicate it’s not genuine. 3. FRAUDSTERS thrive on rushing victims. Stop, relax and take five minutes to think.
Love cheats: online daters say they’ve either been asked for money or have given cash to someone they met online. Men (26%) were more likely to be asked for money than women (15%), and the average amount requested or given was £321.
Also, over a quarter (27%) of online daters have been ‘catfished’ in the past 12 months – which happens when someone uses a fake profile. Men were also more likely to say they’d been catfished (33%) than women (20%).
IT may depend on individual circumstances and who you bank with. People who authorise bank transfers to a scammer may find they lose their money for good – although many banks have signed up to a voluntary industry reimbursement THEY invent a sob story, perhaps code to make it easier for victims to claiming their money has been get their money back in situations stolen, or that they are ill and need where neither they nor their bank is cash for medical assistance. at fault.
They may also claim they are in line TSB also has its own fraud refund for a windfall, perhaps from an guarantee, which protects customers inheritance, and if their victim ‘loans’ who are innocent fraud victims. them some money there will be Ashley Hart, head of fraud at TSB, bigger rewards further down the line. says: “Criminals are becoming
They may also try to put their increasingly sophisticated and will victim off talking to friends and try many ways to trick people out of family, in case they talk them out of their money. It’s important to remain handing over cash. vigilant when speaking to people
The scale of online daters being online and to know the red flags to asked for money is significant. UK look out for before it’s too late. If you Finance found that, whether it turns are unfortunate enough to end up in out to be a con or not, a fifth (21%) of this situation, talk to your bank.” Looking back now, I can’t believe how easy it was for her to take advantage of me – I had no idea she was tricking me into giving out my personal details...