Looking for love? Red flags to look for as romance scams are on the rise
February 14, 2024 – Published on ABC 6 Philadelphia
A warning if you are looking for love – romance scams rose 22% last year and cost Americans more than $1 billion annually.
And it can happen to anyone.
Liza Likins, a backup singer for music icons including Stevie Nicks and Linda Ronstadt, has come forward to share her story, saying she fell victim to a dating scam and lost more than $1 million.
Many of these scams begin online and on dating apps, but you can avoid becoming a victim.
Experts warn scams are getting more sophisticated.
“AI can be used to generate a profile photo that looks legitimate. Maybe if the scammer doesn’t have English as their primary language, they can use AI to generate responses in not only texts, but also voice,” said GuidePoint Security expert Patrick McNeil.
Love bombers often pose as members of the military, so they can claim they can’t meet in person because they’re stationed abroad.
“We have a flaw in our operating system called a sunk cost. We’ve already given somebody some money and we feel like we have to continue to follow through and give them more and more, until we realize we’ve made a big mistake,” said McNeil.
So as soon as you get suspicious: “Push to meet in person, push for some sort of verification,” he adds.
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