Don’t become a scam statistic police urge

Police are urging people to be wary of dating scams.

Dating and romance scams are very destructive – both financially and emotionally.

In 2013, more money was lost to dating and romance scams than any other type of scam, with over $25 million reported lost in Australia – $7.4 million from NSW alone.

Unfortunately, the scammers have a high rate of success, with 43 per cent of people who reported an approach by an ‘admirer’ losing money – on average over $21,000!

These scams also cause significant emotional harm, with many victims reporting a break down in relationships with friends and family.

With the proliferation of online dating websites, forums and social media channels, these scams are moving increasingly into the online space.

Online communication channels allow scammers to operate anonymously from anywhere in the world.

Scammers exploit their victim’s emotions in order to take their money.

They can be very elaborate hoaxes, sometimes taking years to develop and run by experienced criminal syndicates.

The scammer develops a strong connection with the victim before asking for money to help cover costs associated with a supposed illness, injury, family crisis, travel costs or to pursue a business or investment opportunity.

Scammers often approach their victims on legitimate dating websites before attempting to move the ‘relationship’ away from the safeguards that these sites put in place; communicating through other methods such as email, where they can more easily manipulate victims.

Scammers also target victims through social networking sites, where they ‘like’ them and then express shared interests based on personal information taken from the victim’s profile.

If you have been scammed or think someone is trying to scam you, you can report it online at scamwatch.gov.au.

For assistance, you can also contact the Australian Cyber Security Hotline on 1300 292 371.