Dating has dramatically changed over the last 20 years. Bar-hopping has given way to dating apps, leaving people vulnerable to romance scams.
Leroy Shelton, an FBI special agent, told KNX News’ Jon Baird that romance scams are geared towards people who are looking for relationships, even platonic ones.
“The people that are targeted are folks that are looking for companionship, romantic relationships, or investment opportunities,” he said. “Some of those individuals are found on social media accounts, such as dating platforms, chat rooms, social media networking sites, or they receive text messages.”
It can be hard to spot fake profiles because there’s some professionals who are running these scams. Warning signs include when people profess their love too quickly, like within days or weeks.
Want to get caught up on what's happening in SoCal every weekday afternoon? Click to follow The L.A. Local wherever you get podcasts.
Shelton said you should never give money to anybody online. If people won’t video chat or meet in person, that should be a red flag. Something else to be cautious of is if they want to immediately move off the dating site to email or text, where they can’t be monitored by the website.
Shelton said in at least one case he knows of, one woman sent someone her entire life savings. Her family warned her it was a scam, but she did it anyway. The woman ended up committing suicide because of the shame and guilt.
Follow KNX News 97.1 FM