Press Release
☷This Valentine s Day Beware of Romance Scams
Federal Bureau of Investigation ( By Press Release office)
Feb 15,2024
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Hey , it ' s February , the month of love and all that jazz , and guess what? The Salt Lake City FBI and the U . S . Attorney’s Office for the District of Utah are teaming up to give you a heads up about romance scams . You know , those shady schemes where people think they ' re in a relationship but end up getting tricked into giving away their cash , personal info , or valuable stuff to some scammer . It ' s a real bummer , especially for seniors and vulnerable adults who are often targeted . So , in a public service announcement , United States Attorney Trina A . Higgins and SAC Shohini Sinha spill the beans on how these criminals create fake profiles on dating sites , apps , and social media to find their unsuspecting victims . And they do it all so quick , gaining trust just to manipulate folks into coughing up their dough or spilling their secrets . According to the FBI , in 2022 alone , 201 victims in Utah lost over $3 . 6 million to these confidence fraud/romance scams . But fear not , because the FBI and the U . S . Attorney ' s Office are joining forces to investigate and prosecute these scams . They ' re not messing around! Just look at what happened to Nelly Idowu from Provo , Utah . She got slapped with a six - year prison sentence for her part in an online romance scheme . Yikes! So , if you ' re all caught up in an online romance , the FBI wants you to be careful . They ' ve got a few tips for you , like doing some online digging on the person you ' re talking to , never giving out your financial info or lending money to someone online , and staying wary if your suitor seems too perfect or tries to get you to ditch the dating app . Oh , and be on the lookout if they start isolating you from your friends and family or ask for inappropriate photos or personal info that they could later use to blackmail you . And hey , if they keep making excuses for not meeting in person after a few months , that ' s a major red flag . If you do decide to meet up , make sure it ' s in a public place and let others know about your plans . And if you suspect that your online relationship is a total scam , cut all contact ASAP . If you ' ve already sent money , report it to your bank and then get in touch with your local law enforcement . And don ' t forget to file a complaint with the FBI too , they want to hear about it . For more info on romance scams , check out their website: https://www . fbi . gov/scams - and - safety/common - scams - and - crimes/romance - scams . Stay safe out there , folks!
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