With Valentine’s Day right around the corner, FBI Jacksonville is warning people to beware of online romance scams, as victims in 10 Northeast Florida counties lost nearly $3 million to such scams in 2022.
“Romance scams begin when well-rehearsed criminals build relationships with vulnerable users of dating and social media networking sites. Upon gaining the trust of their victims, romance scammers request money for false purposes including medical, travel, or legal fees,” FBI Jacksonville said in a news release.
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According to a preliminary report from the FBI’s Internet Crime Complaint Center (IC3), here’s how much money victims lost to romance scams:
- A total of 19,050 victims reported losing $739,030,292
- In Florida, 1,475 victims reported losing $53,412,471
- In FBI Jacksonville’s 40-county territory, a total of 387 victim complaints with a total reported loss of $15,004,250
- In 10 Northeast Florida counties (Hamilton, Suwanee, Columbia, Baker, Union, Bradford, Clay, St. Johns, Duval and Nassau), 98 victims reported losing $2,789,855
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Recent trends uncovered by the FBI show that criminals are pressuring victims to invest in cryptocurrency and the FBI said it anticipates a “higher reported financial loss” due to this trend. Here’s how a cryptocurrency scam works:
- The scam starts similarly to an online relationship, but instead of asking for cash, the scammer convinces the victim to invest in cryptocurrency.
- To demonstrate the returns on investment, victims are directed to websites that appear authentic but are instead controlled by the scammer.
- Once the victim makes a purchase, they are denied the ability to cash out their investments and the scammer cuts off contact.
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“Online dating is common today, but unfortunately scammers also thrive on those same sites,” said Sherri E. Onks, Special Agent in Charge of FBI Jacksonville. “Whether you’re looking for love or a friendship online, be sure you first understand the risk of being exploited. Remember, a scammer will always eventually ask you for something, so set a boundary early on and never, ever send money to someone you’ve never met.”
Learn the warning signs of romance scams at www.fbi.gov/romancescams. If you suspect your online relationship is a scam, cease all contact immediately and report the incident to your financial institution and the FBI at www.ic3.gov. Filing a complaint with IC3 allows the FBI to identify patterns to aid federal investigations and public awareness efforts.
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