Online romance scams involve fraudsters using fake profiles to deceive victims into sending money, leading to financial and emotional harm. Stay cautious, verify profiles, and report suspicious activities to avoid falling victim.

In the current digital times, where even intimate relationships can be formed online, people must accept that all that meets the eye cannot be real in an online world.

Instances of a prospective life partner you meet online turning out to be a fraudster and a seemingly reliable online friend becoming an offender abound.

It is therefore essential that digital users exercise care and caution as well as become aware and alert while interacting online, to save themselves from a broken heart and hole in the purse.

When a fraudster uses a phoney profile to trick a victim into parting with their hard-earned money under false pretences, it’s known as an online romance scam.

Dangers

• Trapped in fake online relations
• Loss of Money
• Blackmail
• Heartbreak
• Depression

Probable causes (of online romance scams)

• Relying on online dating ( platforms like Tinder, bumble etc., for partners.
• Fake profiles on matrimonial sites
• A rise in the use of extramarital dating apps like Gleeden and online social meeting apps like Facebook dating
• Loneliness or anxiety due to isolation, especially in COVID times

Potential Victims

Although anyone could become a victim of this fraud (Romance Scams), the following people are frequently seen as victims:

• Women * Middle-aged people * Widowers
• People with romantic idealization (Romance Scams).
• People with impulsiveness and relational addiction

Modus Operandi

A fraudster operating with a fake profile makes contact with a potential victim (and establishes a fake relation/bond.)

Before registration, make sure the dating app  (Romance Scams) or matrimonial website is legitimate, and create a new email address.

The fraudster convinces or makes the victims obliged to send them money online using means like gift cards, UPI payment, bank transfer, reloadable debit cards etc., on some pretext.

• They may seek money due to emergencies like accidents, hospitalization etc.,
• They may ask them to invest money in bogus schemes
• They may convince you about good investment schemes like cryptocurrencies etc.,

Over time after extracting the money, they may avoid the victim completely and dump them.

(Intimate pictures shared during interaction may also be used by fraudsters to extort money from victims)

Warning Signs

• Friend requests from unknown people
• Expressing feelings of affection and love too soon in an online relation
• Being very empathetic and obliging
• Avoiding meeting in person
• Mismatch in the details shared when verified closely
• Seeking financial help and making requests for money/gifts on some pretext.

Hypothetical Case Study

In her 30s, Lata worked as a professional software developer in Hyderabad. She had registered on a popular marriage website to find a decent and attractive mate.

After Rohan contacted her, Latha checked his online profile and discovered that he was a senior official at a government organization with a wealthy and well-respected family.

Impressed with the profile she pursued the match with the approval of her family. After some time Rohan requested Latha to help him with some money as he was in dire need of it.

Trusting him, Latha helped him out with a lot of money. It was later on when suddenly Rohan went untraceable and had switched off his mobile totally, that she identified something was wrong.

After approaching the police department, she came to know that ‘Raghuveer’ alias ‘Rohan’ was a fraudster who trapped women for money and committed crimes.

Safety Tips

• Before registration, make sure the dating app (Romance Scams) or matrimonial website is legitimate, and create a new email address.
• It is preferable that you do not share your details like mobile no., residential address on matrimonial sites (Romance Scams) or dating sites openly/publicly.
• Never share any private picture bank account or other financial details with people you have met recently.
• Have a thorough end-to-end background check taking ample time before you decide to proceed in relation. You can also consider taking the help of an investigation agency.
• Be very cautious while considering a prospective groom with an NRI profile on a matrimonial site (Romance Scams).
• Always personally meet the person you have known online at a public place and ask them enough questions.
• Never accept money requests from strangers you meet online.
• Do not invest in schemes etc., as per the advice received by someone you only met online; be cautious of claims/requests of exclusive investment opportunities with urgency to act fast.
• Always keep a neutral person informed who can gauge and assess the interaction and advise logically.
• Never give your bank account details, passport or identification copies, or any other private information to an unknown online person or website.
• Enable required privacy and security features on social media platforms and keep your information private mostly.
• Ensure that you do not accept friend requests by strangers at face value without proper verification.
• Terminate the relationship and report it if you believe it to be a scam.
• File a complaint about the scam at your nearest cyber crime cell and online on www.cybercrime.gov.in portal.
• Report or Notify the scammer on the social media site, app, or service where the scam (Romance Scams) occurred, this may help others from being victims.
• In case you have shared any banking-related details, follow the rules and approach the bank for necessary action.
• Go easy on yourself, learn the lesson and move on