Cybersecurity awareness is not just a necessity for businesses and internet-facing organizations. Consumers, especially lonely hearts experiencing life’s so-called golden years, are prime targets for romance scams and fraud assaults.
Research shows that romance scams are at an all-time high. Even younger folks who share too much about their affairs of the heart on dating sites and social media could become ripe targets for love scams and fraud.
The FBI defines romance scams as situations in which a criminal adopts a fake online identity to gain a victim’s affection and trust. The scammer then uses the illusion of a romantic or close relationship to manipulate and/or steal from the victim. Romance scammers are experts at seeming to be genuine, caring, and believable.
These con artists lurk on most dating and social media sites. They are eager to take advantage of the lonely who now fill cyberspace, warns AARP. Seeking romantic bliss online can have a major financial downside, noted a recent AARP advisory for consumers over the age of 50.
Three in 10 U.S. adults have used a dating website or app, notes a Pew Research Center report called Project Might. That includes one in five Americans ages 50 to 64. Clearly, some people looking for romance online put themselves in easy reach of cyber-romance thieves.
Targeting Seniors
Social media is prime hunting grounds for romance fraudsters. Phony suitors in growing numbers reach…
