I’ve Been Scammed…Now What?
Like many people in today’s world, you took to the internet with sincere hopes of finding love and a meaningful relationship on an online dating site. And joy of joys! You met someone who not only was drop-dead gorgeous, but who also sent gifts and promised their undying love and devotion. Great, right? Well, it was until this person cleaned out your bank account and took you for a ride on an emotional roller coaster that you decided…not so much.
Recently, people across the web have fallen victim to online dating scams in which con-artists create fake profiles to capture the hearts and wallets of their prey. If this has happened to you, take the following steps to get help:
Step #1: Cease all communication. If you find that you’ve been robbed by an online dating scammer or think you might have a potential scammer on your hands, it is imperative that you immediately put an end to all communication. Block or stop responding to emails, chats, etc., as there is no point to try and catch the scammer on your own. Most of the time they are located in another country and it is best to leave the apprehending up to the appropriate authorities.
Step #2: Report to dating site. To ensure that the scammer doesn’t wreak any more havoc upon innocent online daters like yourself, it is crucial to report the con-artist to the administration of the dating site on which you met them. Any reputable online dating service will remove the scammer’s profile right away.
Step #3: File a police complaint. Not only do you need to report the scamming incident to the dating site involved, but you also need to file a complaint with the police. You might have to show emails, chat conversations, text messages, letters or anything that legitimately shows the scammer requested or stole money from you. Unfortunately in many cases you may not get your money back, but at least you will have peace of mind knowing that the person who robbed you is locked up. With an influx of these scams abounding from Nigeria, the good news is that the Nigerian law enforcement is working with police across the world to make sure these criminals are arrested and punished.
Step #4: Wait for police action. After reporting your complaint, the police will follow up with you to gather more details on the scam, the scammer, communication between the two of you, etc. Be sure to disclose as much information as you can, thereby giving the authorities a better chance to catch this person. They will also request more information from the dating site to gain knowledge about the scammer’s profile, activities and whereabouts. With advances being made in catching these online predators, there is hope that yours will be arrested…and if you’re really fortunate, you may even see your money again.
Step #5: Avoid future attacks. To keep yourself from falling into this trap again, watch for the following signs that the person you are communicating with on a dating site might not be who they say they are:
- Picture is too good to be true. Sure there are plenty of attractive men and women on dating sites, but not everyone is a model. If there is only one picture of your online friend on their profile and it looks as if it were snagged from the pages of a magazine…there’s a good chance that it was.
- Love is professed immediately. Of course it’s nice when someone tells you how much they love and adore you—but not right away. Online scammers claim serious feelings off the bat so that they can hurry up and get to your bank account.
- Poor spelling/grammar is used. If your online fling is constantly misspelling words and using grammar that doesn’t align with their alleged education or background, you may be interacting with a scammer.
- Money is requested. No one pursuing you for the right reasons should ask you for any kind of financial assistance. Scammers will conjure up stories about having medical problems or having issues leaving their country to come see you, etc. to get you to relinquish the funds—don’t fall for it!
