Love, lies, and logistics: the high cost of social media romance scams

It started as a Facebook messenger friend request. 

She lived in Scottsdale.

He was a general with the U.S. Army deployed in Syria.

While she was hesitant to begin a relationship, she says she got to know the general through texting and began to trust him.

Soon, he told her he was coming back to the U.S. 

But he needed financial help, money sent to a logistics company so he could get all of his personal property and private military documents out.

She sent $55,000.

It was all a scam.

While online dating and social media have made it easier to meet, they also allow scammers to better hide behind fake profiles with made up backgrounds.

BBB ScamTracker complaints show romance scams aren’t just big around Valentine’s Day.

And they take more money per person, than most any other scam tracked by the Better Business Bureau.

Most romance scams happen the same way: you’re contacted on social media or a dating app, the person is out of the country or can’t video chat, they text, talk of love, and then comes a financial opportunity or a desperate need for help.

In another BBB Scam Tracker complaint, a Phoenix woman lost $90,000 thinking she met an overseas surgeon who needed emergency help and promised to pay it all back.

And a Mesa woman met a German man on Tik Tok.

After texting and getting to know each other, she sent him money through a cash app thinking she was helping him get back on his feet.

She lost $151,000.

If you’re contacted by someone you don’t know who wants money or has a great investment opportunity, it’s a scam.

If they don’t want to meet or video chat, it’s not real.

Seniors are targets. 

If there is a senior in your life, talk to them about the dangers before they’re approached.

Protect yourself from all the latest scams at joeknowsbetter.com.

https://www.bbb.org/local/1126/joe-knows-better

If you lost money to a romance scam, contact your local police and file a complaint with the Federal Trade Commission.  https://reportfraud.ftc.gov/

Report it to BBB Scam Tracker  https://www.bbb.org/scamtracker

And remember before hiring, avoid all the scams and hire trusted BBB Accredited Businesses.

https://www.bbb.org/