The True Cost Of An Online Scam

With more people turning to the Internet to find love these days, research shows 63% of victims involved in romance scams are women

- Kara O’Neill; Eva Gizowska

A staggering 31% of South Africans are registered on online-dating sites. And with the news that one in three relationships now start online, it seems that plenty of people are having a great deal of success while using them. This despite the fact that 62% of those using these online platforms admit to lying in their profiles to make themselves seem more desirable.

While some users manage to find their happily-ever-after online, others face nightmarish scenarios when they become victims of crime after ‘connecting’ with fraudsters who try to con them out of their money or personal details. The statistics make for some rather worrying reading. For example, victims in the USA lost an incredible $143 million in 2018 alone and it’s estimated that, internationally, 2 000 people fall victim to these so-called ‘love scams’ every day.

The average age of a romance fraud victim is 50, and 63% are women. These criminals are highly skilled in what they do, from using buzzwords and phrases to get people to trust them, to sending fake photos and creating fake social-media profiles. But that doesn’t mean you have to give up online dating entirely. So how do you separate the people who are genuinely looking for love, from those who are after your cash?

LOOKING FOR LOVE

Pam Wells, a former social worker, shares her story of falling victim to an online love scam.

When I signed up to a dating website in early 2016, I was looking for friendship, and perhaps a companion to share life experiences with, who might eventually turn into something more. I’d been divorced for several years by then, and with three grown-up children who had all moved out to start lives of their own, I had been feeling a bit lonely.