Romance scams took first place for the highest financial loss in 2018.
An FTC story reports that $143 million was lost in romance scams during that year. The median loss was $2,600. Men and women between the ages of 40 and 69 fell for these scams most often, but those 70 or older lost more money to romance scams. The median loss for those 70 or older was $10,000.
If your mom is a widow or divorced and seeks romance, it’s important that you talk about how to avoid romance scams. Share this information with her. Make sure she knows the most important thing if she does fall for a scam is not to stay silent. She needs to tell the authorities and provide every little bit of information she can.
How Romance Scams Work
There are several variations of romance scams. What happens is, someone creates a fake profile and uses it on dating sites or social media sites. That person may approach someone saying he/she saw their profile and is interested and wants to connect. Some wait for the victim to find and message the fake profile.
Time is then spent sharing stories and getting to know each other. The scammer says everything the person wants to hear. There’s plenty of praise, messages of adoration, and, eventually, news that the scammer has fallen in love. This is what the person seeking a relationship wants to hear.
As time passes, the scammer starts to make requests. A woman in Ireland lost more than $340,000 in a scam where the man she thought she was in a relationship with asked her to pay his children’s tuition in the U.K.
Scammers will say they want to meet up but lack the money for the flight. Men and women who fall for romance scams will send money. Other requests might involve sending money to help pay for an engagement ring or elopement plans, pay court fees for some minor offense, or pay medical bills.
Your Mom Is Less Likely to Be Scammed if She Has Companionship
It’s estimated that only 1 out of every 10 victims reports the romance scam to the police. It’s important to take this step to help police investigate and to prevent the scam from happening to others. Make sure your mom knows this.
Arrange senior care services to make sure she avoids being lonely. If she’s lonely, she’s more likely to fall for a romance scam. Caregivers provide companionship services, in addition, they help with transportation, household chores, and meals. Talk to a senior care specialist to discuss the available services and their rates.
If you or an aging loved-one are considering hiring Home Care in Rockridge, CA, call the caring staff at Aviva In-Home Care. Call today: (415) 795-2203
Sources:
Ftc.gov
Irishtimes.com
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