In 2023, 945 Canadians lost over $50 million to romance scams, with an average loss of nearly $53,000 per person
Recommended Videos
How badly have Canadian victims suffered?
The Canadian Anti-Fraud Centre (CAFC) reports that romance scams were responsible for some of the highest financial fraud losses in 2023.
What are the warning signs of a romance scammer?
To protect yourself from romance scams, be aware of these warning signs:
- Quick professions of love before meeting in person. This “love bombing” is designed to overwhelm and manipulate you emotionally.
- Excessive interest in your personal life: While asking questions is normal, scammers often probe deeply into your personal information without revealing much about themselves.
- Inconsistent stories: Pay attention to discrepancies in their background or the information they share with you.
- Reluctance to meet in person: They may claim to be from your area but are rarely available to meet. When plans are made, they often cancel at the last minute with elaborate excuses.
- Vague or limited online presence: Their social media profiles may have few photos or interactions, and the images they do share might be partial or inconsistent.
- Claims of working overseas in professions like military or oil and gas
- Requests to move conversations to private messaging platforms
- Discouragement from sharing the relationship with friends and family
- Urgent requests for money, often for emergencies or travel expenses
What can you do to protect yourself?
Never send money to someone you haven’t met in person. Scammers often use convincing stories to manipulate victims, but any request for money is a significant red flag.
Place a fraud alert on your credit reports with Equifax and TransUnion to prevent further identity theft.
Finally, talk to someone you trust about the situation. It’s important to remember that falling for a scam is not a reflection of your judgment.
Can you recover funds given to a scammer?
Will an ounce of prevention help?
Set your social media accounts to private and only allow people you know personally to follow you. Regularly review your friends and followers list to ensure you’re not connected to suspicious individuals.
Stick to reputable dating platforms and communicate through their messaging services to maintain privacy.Be cautious if someone asks to move conversations off the platform.
Conduct reverse image searches on profile pictures to check for inconsistencies. Ask detailed questions to verify the person’s identity and story.
Our website is the place for the latest breaking news, exclusive scoops, longreads and provocative commentary. Please bookmark nationalpost.com and sign up for our daily newsletter, Posted, here.