Romance scams can leave people broken-hearted and broke, according to cybersecurity experts
February 13, 2024 – KXAN Austin
The Federal Trade Commission is warning people not to fall for romance scams.
The FTC said online thieves trick people into falling in love with fake dating profiles that end up stealing their heart and their money.
“The FTC says 40% of people said they were impacted by some sort of lost money to romance scams last year,” said cyber security expert Mitchem Boles with GuidePoint Security. “That’s a big number.”
In 2022, nearly 70,000 people reported a romance scam and losses hit a staggering $1.3 billion according to the FTC.
Victims may be looking for love in dating apps or social media but end up being scammed by someone with a fake profile asking for money to be wired or using gift cards.
“If anyone is asking you to send them money, especially when it’s very quickly after you’ve started communicating with them. That should be a red flag,” said Boles.
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