From San Ramon, With Love: A Cautionary Tale Of Online Dating

SAN RAMON, CA — A woman in Illinois has filed a report with her local law enforcement, claiming she was bilked by a man who said he was a 33-year employee of Chevron in San Ramon. The man alleged he had two children by a wife who died 10 years ago. He was getting set to retire, and Chevron was awarding him $3.5 million for his years of service.

Over a 12-month period, he wooed the woman, and there were talks of marriage. She wired him money on many occasions—more than $8,000.

Trouble is, the woman never met her romantic interest. It was online scam likely perpetrated by a fictitious person from outside the U.S. The woman's full story was detailed this week in the Kane County Chronicle. Turns out, these heartbreak cons are common.

In 2018, more than 21,000 reports about romance scams were filed with the Federal Trade Commission, and people reported losing a total of $143 million—more than any other consumer fraud type, according to the FTC. And these reports are rising steadily.

"Romance scammers lure people with phony online profiles, often lifting photos from the web to create attractive and convincing personas. They might make up names or assume the identities of real people. Reports indicate the scammers are active on dating apps, but also on social media sites that aren’t generally used for dating. For example, many people say the scam started with a Facebook message," according to the FTC.

Once scammers have victims hooked, they begin asking for money for "emergency" situations. Another common ploy is to pretend to need help with travel costs for a long-awaited visit to a lonely admirer.

Although most victims wire money to these scammers, a large majority send gift cards or give out the cards' PIN numbers. These payment methods are favored by con artists because they allow anonymity and provide quick cash via largely irreversible transactions.

Although anyone can fall victim to an online dating ruse, people 40 and over are most susceptible to such schemes, and those 70 and older reported the highest individual median losses at $10,000, according to the FTC.

So what can singles do to stay safe while dating online? Here are some tips from the FTC on how to help spot bogus suitors:

• Never send money or gifts to a sweetheart you haven’t met in person.
• Talk to someone you trust about this new love interest. In the excitement about what feels like a new relationship, we can be blinded to things that don’t add up. Pay attention if your friends or family are concerned.
• Take it slowly. Ask questions and look for inconsistent answers. Try a reverse-image search of the profile pictures. If they’re associated with another name or with details that don’t match up, it’s a scam.
• Learn more at ftc.gov/imposters.

Help stop these scammers by reporting suspicious profiles or messages to the dating or social media site. Then, tell the FTC at FTC.gov/complaint.