A new infographic published by the ABA Foundation and the Federal Trade Commission alerts consumers to the growing threat of online dating scams and provides tips for how they can protect themselves. The infographic is available in both English and Spanish.
According to the FBI, reports of online romance scams have tripled over the last five years, with more than $220 million lost in 2016. Online romance scams typically involve a fraudster creating a fake profile to lure in victims, establishing a romantic relationship and eventually extorting money from their victims, which frequently include older Americans.
In cases where an online romance scam is suspected, ABA and the FTC recommend that consumers slow down and talk to someone they trust, never wire money or send cash in any way to an online love interest, contact their bank immediately if they feel they’ve sent money to a scammer and report the experience to the online dating site, the FTC and the FBI.
