Watch out for online dating scammers this Valentine’s Day
Welcome to Threat Intel’s #WednesdayWisdom column, a weekly read to help improve your cybersecurity knowledge and keep you informed on important developments.
As we approach Valentine’s Day, many people’s thoughts are turning to love.
As the singletons out there contemplate another Valentine’s Day alone, the thoughts of some might be turning to signing up to some of the vast array of dating sites and apps out there.
Online dating has grown hugely in popularity in recent years, primarily due to dating apps like Tinder and Bumble — love is only ever a swipe away!
The Pew Research Centre reported last year that use of online dating by Americans aged 18 to 24 had tripled since 2013, while usage by 55 to 64 year olds had doubled.
The numbers associated with online dating now are really quite mind-boggling — Tinder reportedly has more than 50 million monthly users and sees 1 billion ‘swipes’ per day.
This growth in online dating has led some people to complain that it is now impossible to meet people in the real world. More disturbingly, it has also led to a rise in ‘catfishing’ and online scams being carried out through dating websites.
A ‘catfish’ is someone who creates a false identity online in order to lure someone into a romantic relationship — for instance by using fake photos or crafting a false identity. There is even an American TV show called Catfish dedicated to exploring this phenomenon.
However, while it might be disappointing to discover that the tall, hunky blond you were talking to is in fact a decidedly-less-hunky, short brunette, catfishing can have more serious implications if it is used to extract money from unsuspecting victims.
Action Fraud UK revealed that almost 4,000 British people were conned out of £39 million through online dating fraud in 2016. The average each victim lost out on was around £10,000, but Action Fraud UK believes that the real figure for losses through online dating fraud is much higher, as it is an area of cybercrime that is under-reported.
The BBC reported on one woman who handed over more than £300,000 to a scammer who pretended to be an Italian man called Marcelo.
The woman targeted in that case was 47, which fits in with the demographic the FBI highlighted as being most at risk of being a victim of online dating fraud in a warning last year. It said the most common targets of scammers are “women over 40 who are divorced, widowed, and/or disabled”.
The only way to really avoid dating scammers is probably to stay offline, as anyone dating online could potentially become a victim of these scammers, who are clever and know how to take advantage of vulnerable people.
However, following the below tips should reduce your chances of becoming a victim.
Tips to avoid becoming a victim of online dating scammers
· Be wary of revealing too much information about yourself to someone you have never met. Keep information such as your home address, phone number, and main email to yourself until you are 100 percent sure the person you are talking to is genuine.
· Beware of photographs that look almost too professional. Use Google’s reverse image search to check if the photos have been used on any other websites.
· Channel your inner Sherlock: Ask the person you’re speaking to for their full name and look them up on Google and through social media. If they are genuine they shouldn’t have a problem with this.
· If you feel uncomfortable or suspicious, ask a friend for advice. As they are less emotionally involved they may be able to see things more clearly.
· Be suspicious of someone who professes instant feelings of love, but yet comes up with constant excuses for why you can’t meet.
· The FBI also warned that many scammers claim to be from the US but traveling overseas, so watch out for stories like that.
· Be wary of people who refuse or claim to be unable to video chat, ever.
· This one should go without saying, but if someone you’ve never met asks for money for any reason — a medical emergency, because they’ve been robbed, because they need to pay for a visa — huge alarm bells should start ringing. Never send money to someone you’ve only ever interacted with online, and never carry out any kind of transactions or wire transfers on their behalf — they could be involving you in criminality such as money laundering.
· If you are suspicious of a profile you see on an online dating site report it to the site or app so it can be investigated.
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