There’s no doubt that the COVID-19 pandemic has taken a toll on our society. Not only has there been a financial cost, but it has also taken a toll on people’s health. There have also been many industries and businesses that have done very well during the pandemic.
Not surprisingly, scam artists have done particularly well, especially those that perpetuate lonely-heart scams. In fact, according to the Federal Trade Commission, last year lonely-heart scams surged by 80 percent and financial losses to Americans were over one billion dollars. Unfortunately, it appears that this year we will set another record.
Typically, scam artists use dating apps to perpetuate their fraud. Although lonely-heart scams can target anyone, it appears that scam artists disproportionately seek out seniors. They identify widows who are seeking companionship through one of these websites. Not only are scam artists good at identifying their targets, they are also very patient in reeling them in. Because so many of these crooks live abroad, it is often difficult to catch and penalize them.
Typically, the goal of these scams is to convince you to send them money. Money can be in the form of a check, refunding a debit card, a gift card, or even crypto currency. The bottom line is that these scam artists are trying to steal from you.
Although scams are all a little different, there are some consistent signs that should raise a red flag. One of these signs is the picture someone uses on their profile….
