
Her money, the fake “Andrew” disappeared,Īnd Maria never heard from him again. Sent the money, but was soon contacted by herīank, which told her the check was bad and He needed money for rent after being laid offįrom his job. Andrew sent Maria a check for $5,000 toĬover the cost of their trip, but then suddenlyĪsked her to send $4,500 back to him because Summer when Andrew would come back to the

It off and began planning a road trip for that To be an American overseas on business inĪustralia. It can happen like this: “Maria” signed up for an online dating serviceĪnd was contacted by “Andrew,” who claimed It is important for online users to be on the look-out for online dating and romance scams. This leaves many victims not only embarrassed but also in financial distress. Criminals who perpetrate online dating and romance scams use emotional appeals to quickly gain their victims’ trust and then, just as quickly, exploit it.


Some scam artists use bogus profiles to con the people they meet out of hundreds or thousands of dollars. As the number of people looking to meet new people online grows, so does the opportunity for fraud. A recent study indicates that 15 percent of American adults use online dating websites or mobile applications.
