COLUMBIA, S.C. (WCSC) – The FBI is urging people to be mindful of scammers who pose as people looking for a long-term relationship so they can prey on victims.
As the scammers get closer to their would-be victims, they begin trying to persuade them to send money or buy them gifts.
The Columbia field office of the FBI sent out the warning Thursday ahead of Valentine’s Day, saying that in 2020, complaints filed with the agency’s Internet Crime Complaint Center showed victims lost more than $281 million to romance scams.
South Carolinians reported losses of more than $4.4 million that year.
The schemes affect victims from all demographics, but elderly women are often the most targeted, FBI spokesman Kevin Wheeler said.
The FBI offered the following warning signs to help identify a possible romance scam:
- Immediate attempts to communicate by email or messaging services outside of a dating site
- Claims to be from the U.S. but is currently living or traveling abroad
- Claims that being introduced was “destiny” or “fate”
- Reports a sudden personal crisis and pressures you to provide financial help
- Disappears suddenly from a site, but reappears under a different name
- Asks for money, goods, or other types of financial assistance without having met in person
The best defense against romance scams is education and awareness.
- Never send money to someone you meet online, especially by wire transfer.
- Never give someone your banking or credit card information without verifying a…
