Over the course of two years a woman from Norfolk gave $240,000 to a man she had developed a relationship with online.
A woman from Norfolk County is out $240,000 after falling victim to a romance scam over a two year period.
Police say the woman developed an online relationship with a man after meeting him on Facebook back in July of 2004. The woman thought she had developed a bond with the man and they kept in close touch online. Over that time the man started asking for money, making up one emergency after the other until he had stolen about $240,000 from the woman.
Police are warning the public to be wary of any online romance, because often times they are scams. Single and unattached people are usually the targets and this particular scam has worked on a number of people.
In 2015, the Romance Scam generated 298 complaints and claimed 216 victims in Ontario who lost $7.9 million.
Tips to Avoid Being a Victim of a Romance / Dating Scam:
- Check website addresses carefully. Scammers often set up fake websites with very similar addresses to legitimate dating websites. Make sure you only use legitimate and reputable dating websites.
- Never send money, or give credit card or online account details to anyone you do not know and trust. A request to send money to a foreign country (using Western Union or MoneyGram) to this person you have never personally met should be a red flag.
- Don’t give out any personal information in an email or when you are chatting online. Like any scam, use your computer to your advantage. Educate yourself. Check the person’s name, the company name the addresses used, and ask yourself, “Would this be normal?”
- Ask yourself – “Would someone I have never met really declare their love for me after only a few letters or emails?”
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