MICHIGAN, USA — With Valentine's Day right around the corner, many are loading up dating apps to find someone to share it with. But the Better Business Bureau (BBB) is warning Michiganders of scams that are perpetrated through these apps.
The BBB says romance scams can lose victims tens of thousands of dollars or more.
Officials say the scams begin with conversations that appear real and innocent, sometimes going on for months. Then the love interest asks for money for a variety of reasons, like help with finances, money for gifts or flights to visit. Once they receive money, they disappear from the app.
"Many victims say they felt the other person was telling the truth and had no reason not to trust them,” says Lisa Frohnapfel, President and CEO of the Better Business Bureau Serving Western Michigan. “But once someone starts asking you for money, that is the red flag you need to pay attention to.”
The BBB says dating app users should look out for the following warning signs:
- Rush to get off the site. Scammers will try to quickly move the conversation to email, text or messaging app. This avoids monitoring programs set up by dating sites.
- Moving fast. A scammer will start talking about a future together and tell you they love you quickly. They often say they’ve never felt this way before.
- Don’t want to or can’t meet. Be wary of someone who always has an excuse to postpone meeting because they say they are traveling or live overseas or are in the military.
- Suspect language. If the person you are communicating with claims to be from your home town but has poor spelling or grammar or uses phrases that don’t make sense, that’s a red flag.
- Hard luck stories. Before moving on to asking you for money, the scammer may hint at financial troubles like heat being cut off or a stolen car or a sick relative, or they may share a sad story from their past.
In recent years, a West Michigan woman lost $134,000 to a scammer, according to the BBB, and she realized she was scammed when her love interest never arrived at the airport.
The BBB is encouraging Michiganders to never send money or personal information to someone you have never met in person. This includes information to allow someone to deposit money into your bank account. You should also ask specific questions to potentially trip up a scammer, and do your research to see if someone's profile photos are stolen.
While many victims don't report romance scams due to the emotional impact and potential embarrassment, the BBB says anyone who falls victim to these scams should report it to their Scamtracker.
To learn more about romance scams, click here.
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