An Irish woman who became entangled in an online relationship and lost €35,000 is just one example of recent cases of online romance fraud that gardaí are highlighting in the run-up to Valentine’s Day.
The 65-year-old contacted gardaí to report that she lost the money after meeting a man on social media.
“Throughout their online relationship she was convinced to purchase stream cards and send the codes directly onto her male friend, subsequently she then transferred money to various accounts in Malaysia,” a garda spokesperson explained.
Latest garda figures show that romance fraud increased by 86% in 2021, with 70% of victims being women.
Fraudsters are using excuses like travel costs to see the victim, medical bills, and investment opportunities to scam victims of their money.
The topic of romance fraud has been brought to public attention in recent weeks following the release of Netflix’s The Tinder Swindler which follows the story of a conman who has scammed countless victims all over the world into handing over cash to fuel his luxury lifestyle.
Here in Ireland, a woman aged 41 was scammed into losing €26,000 by a man claiming to be a well-known musician.
Another 51-year-old female believes she’s been a victim of romance fraud after transferring €90,000 to a man online in the belief that it was a…
