Be on the lookout for Romance scams this Valentine’s Day

“Dating and romance scams happen when victims are deceived into ‘false’ relationships by fraudsters who aim to steal their money or personal information. Romance fraud is typically carried out by criminals using fake profiles” says Elzita Beukes, FNB Communications Manager. “Fraudsters play on emotional triggers to scam people out of their hard-earned cash. Dating and romance scammers often lower your defences by appealing to your compassionate side in order to take advantage of you. This is particularly prevalent around Valentine’s Day”.

Dating websites and apps may be useful tools for meeting someone new. It’s wise, though, to be careful when communicating with potential romantic interests. Here are some things which may help you avoid being scammed:

• Don’t share personal details - If you share personal information like your full name, date of birth and home address with a stranger, you may not know what they’ll do with it. Fraudsters can steal your information and use it illegally by impersonating you.
• Help and favours - be on high alert when asked for special financial favours or urgent assistance by strangers, no matter how caring or persistent the individuals may seem. Never share your banking details, PINs, OTPs or passwords with strangers and think twice before sending money to someone you recently met online or haven’t met in person yet.
• Potential Money Laundering: Do not allow your account to be used by another person to deposit or transact on. This can put you in serious trouble with authorities as allowing proceeds of crime to be laundered through your bank account, knowingly or unknowingly, is a criminal offence.

?“Remember to always trust your instincts - If you feel like something is wrong, it may be. Be careful and stay safe online”, adds Beukes.?