Valentine’s Day is just around the corner, so you might be thinking about picking a little something up for the ones you love. But remember to keep an eye out; with an increase in online romances, your special someone might be a fraudster, pretending to be someone they’re not. This year, protect your heart and your finances, and don’t fall head over heels for a romance scam.
What to look out for:
So what constitutes a romance scam? It’s when someone claims to be romantically interested in you and takes advantage of your emotions in order to convince you to send them hard-earned money.
Here are some points to watch out for to help you avoid becoming a victim of a scam.
- Fall fast and hard – They quickly express strong feelings for you – even love
- Love is blind – They can never seem to meet in person for a real date, and blame their job, life, being abroad etc.
- They’re mysterious – They have an odd dating or social profile that doesn’t disclose much about themselves or their life
- Sweet as honey – They give you a pet name, which helps them avoid using the wrong name, as they chat to lots of people at the same time
- Bad romance – They seem to have a lot of problems going on in their life that can only be solved with your money
Let’s take this somewhere else – They want to chat outside the dating site or app, and prefer to use text, WhatsApp or email.
Digital Dating Tips:
- Don’t be a mule! Remember, if someone asks you to hold or move money for them and you agree, you could be charged and even jailed for money muling.
- Don’t be embarrassed. If you have suspicions about your new crush, ask a friend or family member for their opinion. Unfortunately, if it feels too good to be true, it probably is.
Don’t let anyone take advantage of you. In matters of the heart, money shouldn’t come into it. If the relationship quickly develops toward financial support and dependence, protect your heart and finances and save it for someone better!
If you’d like a little help deciding which love letters are threats and which are good, DigiSure offers you online insurance to protect your personal and financial data in the same way as you’d protect your physical assets.
Source – Revolut