Press Release
☷FBI Philadelphia Warns of Romance Scams Ahead of Valentine s Day
Federal Bureau of Investigation ( By Press Release office)
Feb 15,2024
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With Valentine ' s Day coming up , the FBI in Philadelphia wants to remind everyone to be cautious of romance and confidence scams . These scammers are out to deceive people looking for companionship or love and take their money . In 2022 alone , over 19 , 000 victims in the US reported losing more than $700 million to these scams . And that ' s only the reported incidents , so the actual numbers could be even higher . In these scams , the criminals pretend to be someone trustworthy and trick their victims into giving them money or personal information . They create fake online identities and use the illusion of a romantic relationship to manipulate and steal from people . These scammers are really good at what they do - they seem genuine and caring . They ' ll even check your social media to establish a quick connection . So be careful about what you share online . Their goal is to build a relationship with you as quickly as possible , gain your trust , and then take advantage of you . The FBI wants to warn people who use online dating platforms that these criminals are actively looking to exploit vulnerable individuals . Whether you ' re looking for love or friendship online , always be on the lookout for potential fraudsters . If you do start a romantic relationship with someone you meet online , be cautious . Don ' t share too much personal information online because scammers can use that to target you . Stick to well - known dating sites and do some research on the person you ' re talking to . Take things slow and ask lots of questions . Watch out if they try to get you to leave the dating app or isolate you from your friends and family . And never send money or gift cards to someone you ' ve only interacted with online . If you do fall victim to a romance scam , make sure to report it to the FBI ' s Internet Crime Complaint Center . You can find additional resources on the FBI ' s website . Hey , once the Internet Crime Complaint Center finishes their annual report , the gov should send us an email to stay connected . Don ' t want to subscribe? No problem!
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