Press Release
☷FBI San Francisco Division Warns of Romance Scams Ahead of Valentine s Day
Federal Bureau of Investigation ( By Press Release office)
Feb 13,2024
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The FBI in San Francisco is working to spread the word about online romance scams , also known as confidence fraud . These scams happen when scammers take advantage of people who are looking for love on dating websites , apps , or social media by tricking them into giving up their personal or financial information . Romance scams happen a lot , especially at this time of year . Last year , within the San Francisco division of the FBI , victims of romance scams lost over $27 million . These scams happened in every county in the area , with the most victims reported in Santa Clara County , followed by Alameda County and Contra Costa County . The most money was lost in Alameda County , followed by Contra Costa County and Santa Clara County . Most of the victims were 60 years old or older , and they lost over $14 million in total . These numbers might actually be higher because many victims are too embarrassed to report what happened to them . The FBI in San Francisco has noticed a new trend where scammers are convincing people to send money to invest in cryptocurrency . They gain the victim ' s trust , direct them to a fake website or app , and make them believe they ' re making money . Then , when the victim wants to withdraw their funds , the scammers come up with excuses and ask for more money . Eventually , the victim realizes they can ' t get their money back , and the scammers stop talking to them . To protect yourself , it ' s important to never send money , trade , or invest based solely on online acquaintances . Avoid sharing your financial status with unknown individuals and be cautious about providing sensitive information online . Be skeptical of investment opportunities that promise unbelievable profits and be wary of those who pressure you to act quickly . If you suspect you ' ve fallen victim to a romance scam , report it to the IC3 at ic3 . gov and contact your financial institution immediately . For media inquiries or interviews , reach out to the FBI San Francisco Media Office at media . sf@fbi . gov . In 2023 , there were a total of 397 romance scam victims who lost a whopping $27 , 278 , 098 . Out of these victims , 138 were over the age of 60 and lost $14 , 722 , 438 . In Alameda County , there were 68 victims who lost $9 , 427 , 814 . In Contra Costa County , 65 victims suffered a loss of $6 , 776 , 481 . Del Norte County had only one victim with no financial loss . Humboldt County had 10 victims who lost $248 , 398 . Lake County had 3 victims with a loss of $1 , 800 . In Marin County , 9 victims lost $285 , 105 . Mendocino County had 3 victims who lost $5 , 000 . In Monterey County , there were 17 victims who lost $604 , 925 . Napa County had 7 victims with a loss of $377 , 000 . San Benito County had 2 victims with a loss of $1 , 500 . San Francisco County had 45 victims who lost $1 , 611 , 997 . In San Mateo County , 29 victims suffered a loss of $1 , 420 , 341 . Santa Clara County had the highest number of victims , with 102 losing $6 , 158 , 575 . Santa Cruz County had 18 victims who lost $173 , 548 . Sonoma County had 18 victims with a loss of $185 , 613 .
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