Romance Fraud Warnings In NJ As Valentines Day Approaches

NEW JERSEY — Romance Scams cost trusting New Jersey residents millions in 2020, and these schemes promising love and affection are on the rise again as Valentine's Day nears, the FBI warned this week.

People of all ages are victimized, the FBI said, but older women are most often the target in confidence scams using a romantic relationship to swindle them out of their money, personal and financial information.

In 2020, Americans lost over $281 million to romance scams, according to the FBI.

In New Jersey, individuals lost $11,545,919 because of confidence scams, according to data compiled from the Internet Crime Complaint Center.

People are advised to exercise extreme caution when engaging online and refrain from sending personally identifiable information, financial information, or funds according to the New Jersey Cybersecurity and Communications Integration Cell.

"Over the last several years, the NJCCIC reported on sextortion scams in which victims were threatened with the release of compromising or sexually explicit photos or videos of the victim if an extortion payment was not made," the agency added.

Skepticism is healthy before entering an online relationship, the FBI said.

The FBI issued these warning signs:

• Immediate attempts to communicate by email or messaging services outside of a dating site
• Claims to be from the U.S. but is currently living or traveling abroad
• Claims that being introduced was “destiny” or “fate”
• Reports a sudden personal crisis and pressures you to provide financial help
• Disappears suddenly from a site, but reappears under a different name
• Asks for money, goods, or other types of financial help without having met in person

Some tips to protect yourself:

• Never send money to someone you meet online.
• Never share banking or credit card information with anyone whose identity you haven’t verified.
• Never share your Social Security number or other personally identifiable information with anyone who doesn’t need that information for legitimate reasons.
• Be mindful of what you post on social media posts and your general online presence. Scammers can use details shared on social media and dating sites to better understand and target you.
• Research the person’s photo and profile using online searches to see if the image, name or details have been used elsewhere.
• Go slowly and ask the other person lots of questions.

As dating apps and websites grow in popularity, new avenues for scammers have opened up, experts say.

Related: Scammers Are Scaring And Extorting Millions From Your Aging Parents

“More and more Americans are generally more comfortable meeting online for platonic and romantic relationships, and these scams are following them, whether it's apps or social media sending them friend requests or instant messages on Facebook saying, ‘I’m in love with you’ and then asking for money,” Kathy Stokes, the director of AARP’s Fraud Prevention Program, told Patch in 2019 for a story about scams targeting older Americans.

If anyone believes they have been a victim of a romance scam, they should report the activity via the NJCCIC Cyber Incident Report Form, the FBI’s Internet Crime Complaint Center website, and their local police department.