WSET/
If you are looking for love online in this Valentine Season, be on the lookout for impostors who want something besides affection: your money.
According to the National Consumers League, so-called “romance scam” complaints is showing a big spike in recent times jumping 45 per cent over last year’s statistics.
For those who fall prey to these scams, the consequences can be devastating. The average loss reported by victims of these scams in 2018 was $18,831 (N6, 798, 024).
John Breyault, NCL’s vice president of public policy, telecommunications and fraud, said scammers will stop at nothing to separate victims from their money.
“They depend on the people they prey on to act on emotions, not reason,” Breyault said. “There’s no stronger emotion than love, and scammers are all too eager to use supposedly romantic connections to defraud their victims.”
The annual report is compiled from more than 5,300 complaints filed by consumers at NCL’s Fraud.org website.
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