You’re contacted on social media, a dating app or maybe you get an “accidental” text.

They compliment you and want to keep the conversation going.

“Your hair looks great!”

“That last post… brilliant!”

“I think we should be friends..

It’s all done by text or email since they are “out of the country”.

The conversation quickly turns to money and investment opportunities.

Realize the scam before your money is gone

You realize it’s all a scam…after your money is gone!

Better Business Bureau Scam Tracker shows romance scams take more money per victim than most any other scam tracked.

Between Feb. 1 and April 1, 2024, the BBB for the San Diego service area shows victims lost $885,000, an average of $126,000 per victim.

But some lose much more.

An Escondido man’s BBB Scam Tracker complaint shows he met someone through a dating app.

They got close, fast.

The person shared their great investment news.

He transferred funds and saw gains at first, so he invested much more.

He lost more than $80,000.

Another Southern California man reports getting a text.

“She became a friend, shared her life, portrayed a lavish lifestyle and later said I can achieve all of that… She then encouraged me to invest in a Bitcoin account.”

The man invested $1,000 and saw that he made gains.

“She encouraged me to add more money.”

He did.

The man lost $350,000.

Other complaints show scammers asking for funds so they can travel from their country to meet in person.

Romance scam warning signs include:

-contact out of the blue

-person is out of the country

-can’t meet and won’t video chat

-too familiar, too fast

-quick talk about money, sharing their great investment and wanting money from you

Many of these scams target seniors, hoping they may be lonely and welcome the conversation.

They also may not have someone around to stop them.

If you’re involved in something that sounds similar, but still are not sure it’s a scam, talk to a friend or family member about it before continuing.

If there is a senior in your life, ask questions and make sure they are not being targeted right now.

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://bbb.org/scamtracker

Check out all of the scams at – joeknowsbetter.com – https://bbb.org/local/1126/joe-knows-better

And remember before hiring, avoid all the scams and hire trusted BBB Accredited Businesses – https://bbb.org/.

Crédito de la foto: Pixabay.com