Dating Over 55

Chapter 4

Reporting Scammer

Please report scammers to:
• Report a suspected online romance scam to the FBI's Internet Crime Complaint Center Internet Crime Complaint Center(IC3) | Home Page and the FTC (Federal Trade Commission | Protecting America's Consumers (ftc.gov)
• The U.S. Army has a detailed fact sheet on spotting romance scammers posing as American soldiers posted abroad.

AARP’s Fraud Watch Network can help you spot and avoid scams. Sign up for free Watchdog Alerts, review our scam-tracking map, or call our toll-free fraud helpline at 877-908-3360 if you or a loved one suspect you’ve been a victim.

Information for all 4 chapters of this blog was obtained from the FTC, AARP.

Chapter 3

Personality traits of those vulnerable to being scammed.

Many people think that those who have been victims of scamming are stupid and should know better. Many very intelligent people are subject to and do get scammed every day. AARP reports these are personality traits subject to being scammed.
1. You respect authority.
2. You like to please people.
3. You are cocky. Think you are too smart to be scammed.
4. You slipped up once. You may be scammed again.
5. You’re friendly.
6. You are under stress.
7. You’re lonely.

Chapter Two

Who gets scammed?

All demographics are targets.

It doesn’t matter, age, gender, or preferred platform. No one is immune to online scammers.

Scammers flood the dating sites with false profiles and wait for vulnerable people to come to them. They are fishing.

What are you to do?
• Conduct a reverse image on Google Search. There are businesses that will dig information for you for a fee but well worth it. Been Verified is a good one to use. However, if it’s a scammer, there won’t be much if any data on them.

• Don’t put too much personal information on the site. They use this to help lure the victim to them.

• If you feel you are talking or texting to a scammer, report them to the web site and cut off the communication.

• I know this seems like a no brainer, but vulnerable people will do many things to feel wanted including sending money because they’ve fallen in love online. Please don’t send any money in any currency.

• They will start to manipulate you and harass you and make you feel worse if you don’t send money. Just stop the communication right there and report them.

• When we are in the throes of wanting to fall in love, talk to a friend and share with them your experience online and if they say the person sounds too good to be true, trust that advice.