Have you ever heard of a romance scam?

 It happens when someone adopts a fake online identity with the goal of stealing your money. They pretend they are interested in a relationship, but their ultimate goal is money, not love.

 Here’s how they work. You meet someone through an online dating app or social media. They claim to live far way, perhaps deployed overseas by the military. As your relationship grows, the person claims to have some type of emergency and needs to borrow money. It may be for a plane ticket to see you, but something comes up at the last minute. It can also be gradual. This person has a car problem but can’t afford to fix it. They lost their job and can’t pay the rent.

 Romance scams work because scammers tug at your heartstrings. Plus, who wants to think their potential love interest is a scammer?

 Here are some common signs of a romance scammer:

·       Professes love quickly and comes on strong

·       Wants to move the conversation off the dating site or social media

·       Claims to live far away

·       Plans to visit, but something always comes up

·       Asks for money in the form of gift cards, cryptocurrency and wire transfers

·       Profile looks too good to be true

 Avoid getting scammed:

·       Research the person's photo and profile using online searches to see if the image, name or details have been used elsewhere

·       Don’t keep your relationship a secret

·       Don’t send money to an online love interest

·       Don’t share banking or credit card information with anyone

 If you think you are being scammed, contact your local police department.