Press Release
☷Beware of Romance Scams Don t Let Scammers Break Your Heart and Your Bank Account
Federal Bureau of Investigation ( By Press Release office)
Feb 10,2024
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Hey folks in Tennessee , the FBI in Memphis wants to give you a heads up about those romance scams , also known as confidence fraud , before Valentine ' s Day . These scammers make all kinds of promises about love and happiness , but really they just want to steal your money . According to the FBI ' s Internet Crime Complaint Center , in 2022 , 331 people in Tennessee lost a total of $8 , 892 , 488 to these scams ( we don ' t have the numbers for 2023 yet ) . And nationally , a whopping 19 , 021 victims lost a total of $735 , 882 , 192 . And those are just the ones that were reported! So , yeah , romance scams are a big problem , especially around this time of year , and they can really mess you up financially and emotionally . Special Agent in Charge Douglas DePodesta of the FBI Memphis Field Office said it best . The scammers target people who are looking for love or companionship on dating websites , apps , chat rooms , and social networking sites , all in the hopes of getting their hands on your personal or financial info . So , here are a few tips to avoid becoming a victim: watch what you post online , stick to dating apps with good reputations ( but remember , scammers can still be lurking there too ) , do some research on the person ' s pictures and profile using other online search tools to make sure it ' s not someone pretending to be someone else , and if you think you ' re being scammed , cut off contact right away and report it to the FBI at IC3 . gov . Stay safe out there!
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