A study released by the Better Business Bureau (BBB) reveals an estimated 1 million Americans have been victimized in romance fraud scams with losses nearing $1 billion over the last three years.
The study, which can be found at www. bbb.org says the scheme can take a number of months to play out as the scammer gains the victim’s trust. The scammer eventually will ask for small amounts of money to feel out the victim. Victims often turn into unknowing accomplices of money laundering.
The study recommends that law enforcement agencies share more information about successful romance fraud prosecutions, do more training and prosecute more cases. BBB recommends online dating sites and social media do more to screen, identify and remove profiles used for scams. There also needs to be more support services offered for romance fraud victims.
According to BBB Scam Tracker, an Alaska woman reported losing $5,000 to a romance scam in November 2017. She reported she started a long-distance relationship with a man she found on a dating site.
He told her he lived in Malaysia and often asked her for money for rent, hospital bills and business endeavors. The man claimed he would come live with her when he received his visa. When she tried to talk to him about it, he stopped communicating with her.
After three years of a long-distance relationship, she gave him a total of $5,000.
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