Romantic fraud is now one of the most common types of cyber fraud today because of the increased prevalence of social media and internet dating websites. The group of romantic frauds includes the military romance fraud, which can be very damaging and is no different than any other romantic fraud, where a con artist uses an artificial relationship to get money from a victim based on the trust and respect an individual has for those who serve in the military.
What Are Online Romance Scams?
Criminals develop fake profiles on websites, chat applications, and/or social networks and build a strong emotional connection with an individual over time. After this period, the perpetrator will start to request items of value, such as money, gifts, and sensitive private information from the victim. Most of the victims of these types of fraud will not know that they have been taken advantage of until it has substantially hurt them financially and emotionally.
The way military romance scams operate
How Military Romance Scams Work?
Fraudsters will impersonate someone they have assumed is in the military and is currently away from home. Many will use pictures that have been stolen from others; frequently, these images are referred to as romance scam images. Many scammers claim to be unable to meet because of their military duties and will often create false emergencies, such as requesting assistance with paying for their leave, medical expenses, and shipping expenses. The victims are urged to send the scammer money using gift cards, cryptocurrency, or wire transfers.
Some common red flags of romance scams on the internet:
If you know what to look for, it can be easier to spot romance scams on the Internet. Below is a list of very common red flags that should raise suspicion:
- Refusal to have a video conversation or meet in person
- Requesting financial assistance
- Using poor grammar and/or sending scripted messages
- Developing an emotional connection too quickly
- Claiming to be stationed overseas or on a confidential/secret assignment.
The importance of romance scams is seen mostly through their images.
Romance scams commonly use stolen photographs of unsuspecting fraud victims. The majority of these pictures come from legitimate US Military personnel, professional models, and general internet users who made a profile on various social networking sites. A reverse-search feature on search engines can expose whether or not any profile picture used in a case of romance fraud was lifted from elsewhere.
Several reasons exist as to why there is an increase in dating and romance fraud.
The internet has created a way for scammers to perpetrate fraud all over the world, and internet scams have made finding and connecting with others easier than ever before. Additionally, feelings of isolation and emotional vulnerability may further contribute to people’s willingness to get involved in these types of scams. Criminal organizations are also reusing the same successful scripts, allowing for multiple repetitions of successful attempts, and therefore, they are highly profitable and growing in volume.
Conclusion
The soldiers and victims of army romance scams and various types of romance fraud continue to inflict serious damage on thousands of individuals each year. The most important ways you can protect yourself from army romance scams, as well as any other type of romance scam, are to be vigilant, sceptical, and to be aware of the signs of a scam. If you use these three methods of protection, you can protect yourself from being victimised by an online romance scam.
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