What are romance scams?
There are a variety of romance scams that pop up around the world. The most common type of romance scam is dating websites, such as Christian Mingle or Match.com. Scammers contact vulnerable individuals through their romantic dating websites. The scammer claims to be a young, handsome, wealthy, happily married man who loves to travel. After speaking with the individual over the Internet, the scammer makes the relationship seem more serious and invites the person to visit him. Upon arriving at the scammer’s home, they are taken to an abandoned building, where they are told to stand in line until it’s their turn. The scammer will offer the individual gifts, love and money in exchange for having sex.
Scammers are clever
The scammers are clever. In the quest for more and more money, they might offer to relocate you to another country or invest in a business with you, but then they simply keep you there and take the rest. These men are looking for new victims to steal from. When they are not claiming to be a soldier or a soccer star, they will take the money they have stolen from their previous victims, and then move on to a new target. Women are getting scammed as well, but in the majority of cases, it’s men and men tend to be more vulnerable to romance scams.
Women are also being scammed. They are being pressured to wire money to supposed sources of bail money or to some other wire scheme.
Red flags of a romance scam
Commitment Issues
If the two of you start having problems communicating with each other, this is a sign of a potential romance scam. The person will threaten to end the relationship or suggest that the other person does something against his or her will.
Since that’s not happening, you are a suspect.
Negative Body Language
The person may be trying to get away by stretching or bending his or her arms to hide something.
If he or she can’t look you in the eye, that’s a bad sign.
The Potential Romance Scammer Doesn’t Get Back to You in a Convenient Time
If he or she initiates contact, but never gives a definite answer about whether they will come see you or not, this is a sign of a potential romance scam.
How to avoid being scammed by a romance scam
One of the best ways to avoid becoming a victim to a romance scam is to learn what to look out for. Here are some red flags that you can look out for if you suspect you’re about to become a victim.
The person starts off in a rush, promising great things will come soon. The scammer tells you that he has already seen the good things that you could bring into his life. As a lover of the good things, he claims that he’s willing to overlook any rough spots in your relationship. The scammer often demands to be bailed out from the mistake he just made and will make any excuse to get you to make a decision. The scammer says he loves you, but never spends more than $2,000 at a time. The scammer will start to accuse you of cheating.
How to deal with a romance scam
The most important advice you need to follow if you want to deal with a romance scam is to take charge of your safety and security. This means to make your immediate and a lasting assessment of the situation. This is not something you can do if you’re going to be the victim of a scam and feel victimized all over again.
All the red flags of a romance scam must be noted before responding to a request for a monetary or other personal loan or help. Your instincts may prompt you to steer clear of a scammer, especially if you’re suspicious of the request for a loan.
Protecting yourself from romance scams is no easy task, but with a little awareness, you’ll be in the best possible position to protect your money and your personal resources.
Conclusion
Romance scams are terrible. They often involve life-changing money that you might need in a crisis. Never fall victim to one because you deserve better. Remember these things when you search for love online. Never give out personal information to a stranger just because you think that you might be really good for one another.
Is it any wonder why so many scammers out there will simply not stop? If they can get just a tiny percentage of people into these scams, there is enough for them to live very, very well. You are not worth it. Do not let these people deceive you into giving up your money to them. Get help for this or take the next best step.
Start healing your heart today.