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- Despite greater awareness, con artists are still at it on dating sites.
- A reader, Moloko Marang* shared with us recently that she had been scammed out of close to R1 million by a man she met online.
- Carey van Vlaanderen, Chief Executive Officer at ESET Southern Africa, says catfishing, sextortion, phishing and other romance scams are big business for fraudsters.
From dating to defrauding, criminals are cashing in on those feeling lonely.
Over the last year, we have written numerous stories about women being scammed online. Despite greater awareness of scammers, con artists are still at it on dating sites.
A reader, Moloko Marang* shared with us recently that she had been scammed out of close to R1 million by a man she met online.
Desperate to get a resolution, Moloko hoped to get in touch with other women who had been victims. Unfortunately, many have lost money to this and have been left in debt and distraught.
READ MORE | ‘I scammed a scammer’ - How this Cape Town woman got back at her lying, scheming online dating match
Carey van Vlaanderen, Chief Executive Officer at ESET Southern Africa says catfishing, sextortion, phishing and other romance scams are big business for fraudsters. Carey says knowing how to spot red flags can mean the difference between being deeply in love and knee-deep in debt.
According to the South African Banking Risk Information Centre (SABRIC), some terror groups have been targeting South Africans to finance their criminal acts through romance scams. It also reports that online dating scams are used by fraudsters to launder the illicit proceeds of crime.
While dating sites can be a wonderful place to meet new people, make connections and find a romantic partner, they can also be a place that turns your life upside down.
READ MORE | Casual vs committed sex: Top psychologist explains the difference when it comes to intimacy
With February being the month of love, online daters must know how to protect themselves in the digital dating space.
Don't fall for the rom-con
Online dating or romance scams are financially and emotionally costly as fraudsters exploit people's vulnerabilities, trust, and feelings of loneliness. When visiting online dating platforms, be aware of photos that look too good to be true. An image search on Google can help you determine if the photo is authentic or a stolen or stock photo. Other red flags include requests for private information such as your ID number, declarations of love alarmingly early in the relationship, or a request for money to help them out of a situation.
Another trend in 2022 was an increase in reports of romance scammers luring consumers into fake cryptocurrency investment schemes.
READ MORE | Online dating: A deep connection and great sex aren't magically produced at the press of a button
Falling for deception
While dating scams have multiple layers of deception, they all rely on gaining information which should give everyone pause to think about how the management of personal information can allow criminals to build a detailed profile of their target.
A common modus operandi is scammers using emotional manipulation to get a victim to send money, gifts, or personal information. Another common and extremely traumatising form of deception is sextortion. This begins as a seemingly normal relationship before the scammer pressures the victim into sending intimate photos or videos, which are used as material to blackmail the victim.
Catfishing is another common trick scammers use, which lures the victim into a relationship based on the attacker's fictitious online persona. Once the victim is on the hook, the scammer will send messages about being in financial trouble with promises to pay the money back later.
How to protect your feelings and your finances
1. Scammers seldom ask for money at the beginning of an interaction. Instead, they may express money worries in casual conversation or use financial trouble as a reason not to meet.
2. Carefully consider the decision to leave verified dating apps to message privately. Not only does this give the fraudster access to your mobile number, but dating apps also provide mechanisms to report scammers and unsafe behaviour.
3. Don't send a person money. No matter how convincing their story may be. Talk to someone you know and trust for their perspective on the situation.
4. Never share any information that may compromise you, including photos or videos.
5. If you decide to meet someone in person that you've met online, be sure to set up the meeting in a safe, public place and ensure a trusted friend or family member is aware of your arrangements.
Not her real name*
Additional information by GinjaNinja PR on behalf of ESET SA
