As today (14/02) is Valentine's Day, Thames Valley Police have published guidance on how to avoid falling victim to scammers who are posing as potential partners on dating apps.
Romance frauds happen when the victim thinks they’ve met the perfect partner through an online dating website or app, but the other person is using a fake profile to form a relationship with them. They’re using the site to gain the victim’s trust and ask them for money or enough personal information to steal their identity.
Here are some tips that Thames Valley police recommend you follow when looking for partners on dating apps.
Things you should ALWAYS do:
Be wary of revealing personal information about yourself online.
Remain on the dating site’s messaging platform if contact was via a dating site.
Remember that anyone can pretend to be anyone they want to be online.
Be wary if you are encouraged to keep things from your family and friends.
Be wary of anyone asking lots of questions about you but not revealing much about themselves.
It’s ok to reject, refuse or ignore any requests. Only criminals will try to rush or panic you.
Contact your bank immediately if you think you’ve fallen for a scam and report it to Action Fraud.
Things you should NEVER do:
Never send them any money.
Never allow them access to your bank account.
Never transfer money on their behalf.
Never take a loan out for them.
Never provide copies of your personal documents such as passports or driving licenses.
Never invest your own money on their behalf or on their advice.
Never purchase and send the codes on gift cards from Amazon or iTunes.
Never agree to receive or send any parcels on their behalf (such as mobile phones or laptops).
For more information on how to stay safe online (as well as how to report suspect scammers/fraudsters), please click here.
