Claremont Online Dating Scam Alert: Don't Be A Victim

CLAREMONT, CA — Online Dating Scams are on the rise, according to a recent report released by an Orange County police department. Last year, a serial online date dasher took San Gabriel Valley women to the cleaners by meeting them, wining and dining them at area restaurants and then leaving them with the bill. But that was the tip of the dating scam iceberg.

Local police departments want you to to be aware of how online dating scams work before you dip your toe into the popular match-making programs.

Have you heard about "Online Dating Scams"? Here's how they work:

You meet someone special on a dating website. Soon he wants to move off the dating site to email or phone calls. He tells you he loves you, but he lives far away - maybe for business, or because he's in the military.

Then he asks for money. He might say it's for a plane ticket to visit you, or emergency surgery or something else equally urgent.

But don't offer it to him, the Newport Beach Police Department suggests. Chances are, he--or she--is an online dating scammer.

"Scammers, both male and female, make fake dating profiles, sometimes using photos of other people - even stolen pictures of real military personnel," Newport Beach Police information officer Lt. Jay Short said. "They build relationships, some even fake wedding plans, before they disappear with your money."

Here's what you can do:

• Stop. Don't send money. Never wire money on a prepaid debit card, or send cash to an online love interest. You won't get it back.
• Pass this information on to a friend. You might know that these relationships are fakes, but chances are that you know someone who doesn't.

If you believe you’ve been the victim of a scam, please file a complaint with the Federal Trade Commission at ftc.gov/complaint.

Read also: Are You Dating A Serial "Dine and Dasher?"