Romance Scams Running Rampant, Ohio Attorney General Says

Ohio Attorney General Mike DeWine is warning Ohioans that Valentine's Day is the perfect time for some of us to get wrapped up in online scams. Most of the frauds start on Facebook or dating sites.

“Scam artists will pretend to be someone they’re not,” DeWine said in a press release. “They’ll start to communicate with a person online, and they’ll forge an emotional connection. At some point, they’ll start asking for money.”

In the release, he goes on to say that a scammer will create fake dating profiles or fake Facebook profiles, reach out to different people and communicate via chatting features or phone calls. After setting up the frame of the scam, the con artist asks for money.

DeWine says the scammers will frequently pretend to be one of these things:

• A military member overseas
• An oil worker
• A businessperson working overseas
• An heir to a large inheritance

Notice that nearly all of the possible personas here are not in the state, or even the nation. It's easier for scammers to say they're from out-of-town (dodging an in-person meeting) and convince people to send money.

Additionally, be cautious of anyone who asks you to send money in any form online. Be particularly weary of anyone asking you to send gift cards or wire transfers. Both wire transfers and gift cards are extremely difficult for police to trace, which is why scammers fall back on those means of conning people out of their money.

Last year, DeWine says his office receive 60 romance (or sometimes called sweetheart) scam complaints. Consumers have reported losing an average of more than $21,000 in the scams. However, some reported sending as much as $100,000 or more over the course of months or years.

DeWine provided a series of tips to help people avoid getting ripped off.

• First, be cautious online. If you meet someone online, research them. Try a Google Image search and see if their photos pop up on someone else's feed. See if you can contact their friends on social media and consult with your own friends as well. Ultimately, you should conduct some of this research prior to even accepting a Facebook friend request.
• Don't send money online. Just...don't do it.
• If you meet someone online, and they start telling you it was kismet that you met, fate that brought you together, or any other moon eyed platitude, be weary. Online relationships should always be approached skeptically.

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