By Elliot Wright, 8th February 2010
With Valentine's Day approaching, the Office of Fair Trading is
warning people to be wary of internet dating scams that can leave
their victims heart-broken and out of pocket.
As part of its "Scamnesty" month, the OFT is warning people that
that increased potential to meet new people online is being used by
scammers to gain trust and con victims out of their money.
Scammers target singles columns and dating websites to search
for potential victims where they create fictitious online profiles
or send unsolicited messages, often with fake photographs.
Once they have gained their victim's trust they attempt to
persuade them to part with large sums of money by typically
arranging a meeting but saying they don't have the funds to travel
or pay for a visa. They may also say that they or a family member
require urgent treatment for an illness.
In one recent case a British national was kidnapped after
travelling to West Africa under the belief they would be met by
someone with whom they had established an online friendship..
OFT-managed advice service Consumer Direct offers the following
advice to make using internet dating websites safer:
- Know what you are paying for and what the agency promises to
provide in return.
- If you receive any requests for money, be suspicious, even if
you have known the person for a number of weeks.
- Be sceptical and ask yourself simple questions, for example,
'why am I the only person who can help them, when I have just met
them?'
- If you meet somebody unknown to you, always meet in a public
place and take a friend with you for support if you are
unsure.
Heather Clayton, Senior Director of the Office of Fair Trading's
Consumer group, said: "The internet is now an established way to
meet and connect with new people, but those meeting on dating and
other sites need to be on their guard against potential dating
scams.
"All fraud is destructive but dating scammers are particularly
ruthless as they abuse the emotional trust and attachments that
people invest when looking to meet someone."
Useful links:
How to
avoid email scams
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