Attorney General Todd Rokita warns Indiana consumers to be on the lookout for romance scams approaching the holiday season.
“While online dating may seem like an easy way to find love, it doesn’t always end well,” Attorney General Rokita said. “We see cases of goodhearted people who truly believe they’re connecting with a genuine person and then get taken advantage of by scammers. Don’t let this happen to you or your loved ones this Valentine’s Day.”
In romance scams, perpetrators prey on unsuspecting matches by creating fake profiles to take advantage of victims online. They go to great lengths to pose as prospective romantic partners with similar interests to lure people into providing gifts, money, or personal information.
Here are a few warning signs that someone might be more interested in your money or personal information than a relationship:
- Your new romantic interest sends a picture that doesn’t look realistic. Rather, the person looks more like a model from a fashion magazine.
- The relationship is moving fast, and the other person quickly professes their love for you.
- The person attempts to isolate you from friends and family.
- The person requests inappropriate photos or financial information that could later be used against you.
- The person can’t meet you in person or communicate on facetime.
- The person asks you for money to buy their ticket to visit you, help pay for medical expenses (for them or a family member) or invest in a business.
- They ask for money in the form of wire transfer, preloaded gift card, cryptocurrency, or money transfer app that are hard to recoup.
If you ever suspect a scam of any type, file a complaint at indianaconsumer.com or call Attorney General Todd Rokita’s office at 1-800-382-5516.
