Vegas News Journal
(Comprehensive) The FBI's San Francisco Bureau has recently warned that romance scams are on the rise, often involving online video chats between two parties who gain trust and then trick victims into sending money or making "investments," with older people often being the targets.
According to the Federal Bureau of Investigation (FBI) Cybercrime Complaint Center, the cumulative amount of romance scams reported by the San Francisco Bureau in 2021 exceeded $64 million, a significant increase of 1.8 times the total scam amount more than $35 million in 2020 statistics.
Not only has the number of complaints increased, but FBI figures show that seniors are the most common targets of online romance scams, with a total loss of $18 million for this group.
"The San Francisco Chronicle reported on the 11th that FBI spokeswoman Caroline Polan explained that people looking for romantic partners on dating sites, apps, or social media must be careful about being used by scammers, as the ultimate goal of such love scams is to "financially exploit The ultimate goal of such love scams is to "financially control the victim.
Poland analyzed that scammers watch their victims' social media or dating sites to hone their romantic scamming skills and then have in-depth conversations with their victims via email or text message to learn more about their lives, views on love, and their thoughts on the future.
She said the scammers are often "amazingly" "in tune" with their victims, whether it's a favorite book, music, or garden planting.
Recently, the FBI's San Francisco division has also seen an increase in cases where love scammers ask victims to send money to invest and trade in cryptocurrencies. Eventually, when the victim does not continue to send money, the scammer will stop communication between the two parties.
The FBI warns that you should not send money or invest in "online friendships" or disclose your finances, bank accounts, or identity information to people you don't know well or trust, or to people who claim to have "exclusive investment opportunities" and urge you to Be cautious of people who claim to have "exclusive investment opportunities" and who encourage you to "act quickly to send money.
Comments