MoneyGram is advising romantics to practice tough love this Valentine’s Day, as a way to stop scammers in their attempts to steal their money through romance scams.
Kim Garner, senior vice president of global security and investigations for MoneyGram, explained that romance scams typically begin in an online environment, with the scammer quickly professing love for the victim. After winning the victim’s trust, the scammer will ask the victim to send money through a wire transfer – claiming the need for a medical operation, some type of emergency, or even for travel costs to finally meet the unsuspecting victim. Once the victim wires the money, they never hear from the scammer again, and there’s no way to get the money back. Or the requests for money may escalate after the victim sends an initial amount.
Garner said that even after a victim calls out the scam, there may be a “scam after the scam,” when the scammer admits to the scam but then professes that he really did fall in love. The scam then begins again, in an attempt to extract money from the victim. “Don’t fall for a scam in the hopes of falling in love,” Garner said. “Pay attention to the warning signs, and push back if you suspect a scam. Listen to your instincts, and don’t be intimidated or shy. And if the topic of money comes up, end the conversation immediately.”
While it seems like obvious advice, Garner tells consumers to never wire money to someone they do not know. She also advises consumers to report a suspected scam to the local police.
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