You might not think Louisiana Attorney General Jeff Landry's office would be the best source of dating advice, but the attorney general says there are some safety concerns when it comes to meeting up with people you first made contact with through dating apps or social media.
"According to the Federal Trade Commission, consumers lost more than $547 Million to romance scams in 2021 – up nearly 80% from 2020," Landry warns.
To protect your heart from scammers, or at least your bank account, he suggests the following:
- Protect Personal Information. Do not share sensitive information (i.e., home address and Social Security Number).
- Never Send Money. Look out for red flags like similar stories used in other scams or requests for gift card payments.
- Keep Guard Up. Be extremely wary of dates claiming phone conversation is not possible (wanting to leave the date site immediately to use personal email or instant messaging) or alleging to be American traveling or working overseas.
- Don’t Swipe on Iffy Pictures. Do a reverse image search of the person’s profile picture to see if it is associated with a different name or unfamiliar details.
Suspicious activity can be reported to the FTC's Consumer Response Center at (877) FTC-HELP (382-4357) and online at ftc.gov/complaint.
