FRANKFORT, Ky. (CLARKSVILLENOW) – As Valentine’s Day approaches, Kentucky Attorney General Andy Beshear is warning the public to be wary of online dating scams that have already caused multiple victims to report losses of nearly $300,000 this year.
In each case, a “sweetheart scammer” used legitimate online dating websites Match.com and eHarmony to lure victims into a fake online relationship.
The scammer played on the victim’s emotions by duping them into sending thousands of dollars to supposedly help them get out of various types of legal or financial trouble.
Beshear said one victim lost more than $12,000 to their sweetheart scammer and even purchased a wedding dress for a supposed February 2019 wedding date.
Beshear said in 2017, the FBI reported sweetheart scams cost victims in the United States more than $211 million in losses, which makes it the second-largest online crime in terms of money taken from victims.
The largest online crime where victims lose the most money involves fake business phishing scams.
Watch out for these scammer red flags:
• Asks you to leave the official dating or social media site and communicate directly via text, email or online chats.
• Falls in love or befriends quickly.
• Says they are not able to meet in person.
• Claims to have an emergency and needs money to get out of legal or financial trouble.
• Requests money sent using untraceable methods of payment.
• Claims they will pay you back when you meet.
Sweetheart scammers also pretend to be someone they are not by stealing others photos to use on their dating profiles. Conducting a Google image search is one way to potentially detect a scammer who is using another person’s photo.
Beshear said he encourages everyone, especially veterans and service members who are often targeted by sweetheart scammers, to conduct regular image searches to ensure their photos are not being used improperly.