Gardai issue romance fraud warning on Valentine’s Day

OVER €7 million has been stolen from victims of romance fraud in Ireland over the past five years, according to gardai.

This Valentine’s Day, An Garda Siochana has issued an appeal to the public to be aware of romance scams and criminals who are taking advantage of an increase in the popularity of dating apps.

Gardai said that of the 245 victims who have come forward since 2020, the majority were women and their average financial loss was €28,500.

The highest reported loss by a female in Ireland was over €450,000 stolen in 18 transactions, while one male had more than €380,000 taken.

In their appeal, gardai said that fraudsters typically use someone else’s photos to set up a fake profile on dating apps and online sites. 

They then scour through profiles to identify potential victims who they will target and groom over a sustained period in an effort to extract their money.

A fraudster’s profile usually depicts a person who has a responsible job but is most often fictitiously based in a location which makes them unable to travel or move freely and has poor phone network or internet connection such as working on an offshore oil rig, an aid worker, a humanitarian doctor or a soldier in a worn-torn country.

They’ll match or connect on the dating app and quickly encourage their victim to move to a messaging app or email. They’ll say all the right things because they follow prepared scripts, gardai said.

Their background may seem legit – they will usually claim to have been married and now widowed or divorced, have grown up children and be seeking a platonic relationship but that is all part of the ploy.

The requests for money start small and, in some cases, if these initial asks are provided for by the victim, they will be repaid so as to build trust.

According to gardai, the fraudster will have more than one victim at any given time.

In time, the requests will increase in amount and before a victim necessarily realises it they’re being pressured to pay anything from essential medical bills and custom duties, to purchasing flights and Visas.

On occasion these requests for dig outs can become an investment pitch, gardai said, with the fraudster claiming to have a great financial opportunity, often involving Crypto.

They’ll encourage their victim to invest on the basis that they will make a quick profit, and the fraudster will even go so far as to provide all the expertise to facilitate the transaction(s).

The most common conclusion is that a victim will begin to start asking questions about their money and when it becomes apparent that it has been stolen, the fraudster will cut contact and block them.

Once reported, the investigation into these crimes will usually indicate that the victim’s money has been transferred to a bank account, Crypto account or what is known as a ‘Cold Storage Wallet’ or a ‘Cold Wallet’ outside of Ireland.

Victims encouraged to come forward 

Detective Superintendent Michael Cryan of the Garda National Economic Crime Bureau said: “A victim will be made believe that they have met their perfect match online, but are in fact being terribly deceived.

“It becomes a huge invasion of privacy and a breach of trust which can impact your whole view of people and the possibility of romance, but it’s important to remember that this fraud and it is a crime.

“It is often the case that a victim’s money is transferred overseas to fund organised criminal activities such as terrorism, human trafficking, people smuggling and even corruption.

“An Garda Síochána work closely with both Europol and Interpol to disrupt those involved in fraud of this nature as part of our investigations into romance scams”

He added: “If you have previously been or believe that you are a victim of a romance scam, please speak with us at any Garda Station.

“This can very easily happen and no one should feel embarrassed, we are here to help and will treat every report in confidence.”

Advice

–Use a reputable dating site and its messaging function to help avoid moving to social media or texting too quickly

-Take the image(s) they are using on their profile and Google Reverse Image Search

-Be careful of what personal details you share on your profile and do not give your address, a copy of your passport or driving licence

-Be wary of anyone asking lots of questions about you but not revealing much about themselves, or anyone asking you to video call but they won’t

-Never, ever send money or give your bank details including online banking password to someone you have met online

-Do not make any payment on the pretence that they visit you

-Do not invest your money in any opportunity offered by a person that you’ve connected with online – always seek independent financial and legal advice

-Do not download any app that they ask you to i.e. AnyDesk

-If you become suspicious, save all your correspondence with the individual and immediately make contact with your bank and any Garda Station

-Look out for inconsistencies like they’re university educated, but their spelling and grammar is below average.

-Act on instinct if you spot gaps in their story which can often occur as the fraudster mixes up which victim they are speaking with.