Romance scams are a category of online scams whereby individuals are deceived by someone posing as a romantic partner. These scams often begin on dating websites or social media platforms, where scammers create fake profiles to establish a connection with would-be victims. The goal is to exploit the victim emotionally — and eventually, financially. In this article, we’re primarily concerned with romance scams that target older adults. So let’s dive in.
Romance scams targeting older adults are the most common — and often the most damaging. Older adults may be more susceptible to these scams due to feelings of loneliness and isolation. Scammers capitalize on this vulnerability by offering companionship and emotional support. Older adults will also likely have more assets and saved money — meaning they can be a more lucrative target for scammers than younger adults. Furthermore, because of their age, an older adult will likely have less technical know-how, and less awareness when it comes to romance scams, phishing, and social engineering attacks in general.
The following are noteworthy statistics that drive home the scale of the problem we face:
Be on the lookout for these six red flags. If one or more occurs — think very carefully about your next steps, and seek the guidance of trusted family, friends, and/or experts.
Compromised personal data can have serious consequences, including identity theft, financial fraud, and job losses. The best thing you can do is a) have reliable cybersecurity protection, and b) ensure you will find out ASAP in the event of being affected. We would encourage readers to head over to our new ID Protection platform, which has been designed to meet these challenges.
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Earlier this year, the FTC released the following list breaking down the most common lies utilized by romance scammers. Be on the lookout!
It’s important to stress that this list is not exhaustive — and even if the above appear, they may take a different form and use different word choices.
We hope this article has been an interesting and/or useful read. Why not give ID Protection a go today? As ever, do SHARE with family and friends to help keep the online community secure and informed — and consider leaving a like or comment below.
This article was published in collaboration with Trend Micro
Image source: Pixabay
