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Difference between revisions of "Romance and Relationship Scams"
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Romance and Relationship Scams (view source)
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{{REVIEWEDPLS | reviewer = [[People's Law School]]|date= March 2017}}{{Scams to Avoid TOC}} | {{REVIEWEDPLS | reviewer = [[People's Law School]]|date= March 2017}}{{Scams to Avoid TOC}} | ||
Would someone you have never met really declare their love for you after only a few letters or emails? | Would someone you have never met really declare their love for you after only a few letters or emails? | ||
== | ==Romance scams== | ||
{{PLSStorybox | {{PLSStorybox | ||
| image = [[File:Headshot_-_Scams_to_Avoid_-_Rita_-_2017.jpg|link=]] | | image = [[File:Headshot_-_Scams_to_Avoid_-_Rita_-_2017.jpg|link=]] | ||
| text = | | text = "I was in an 'internet-only' romantic relationship with a man for two years. Like me, he had lost his spouse. We messaged each other every day. When his daughter became very ill, he said he needed money to pay her medical bills. I sent him $20,000 by wire transfer. A month later, he stopped answering my messages. I contacted the police, but they couldn't find him. He had vanished.”<br>- Rita, Vancouver | ||
}} | }} | ||
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}} | }} | ||
== | ==Relative scams== | ||
There are scams that target grandparents and other older relatives. In what’s often called a '''relative scam''' or an '''emergency scam''', a grandparent receives a phone call from a scammer claiming to be one of his or her grandchildren. The caller says they are in some kind of trouble and need money. They may say they’re in hospital, stuck in another country, or have gotten into trouble with the law. They ask for money to be sent immediately through a wire transfer service. | There are scams that target grandparents and other older relatives. In what’s often called a '''relative scam''' or an '''emergency scam''', a grandparent receives a phone call from a scammer claiming to be one of his or her grandchildren. The caller says they are in some kind of trouble and need money. They may say they’re in hospital, stuck in another country, or have gotten into trouble with the law. They ask for money to be sent immediately through a wire transfer service. | ||
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==Preventing problems== | ==Preventing problems== | ||
Here are ways to reduce the risk of being the victim of a relationship scam. | Here are ways to reduce the risk of being the victim of a relationship scam. | ||
=== | ===Know who you’re dealing with=== | ||
Do your research before engaging with someone online. Check their name and their background by searching on the internet and social media sites like Facebook and LinkedIn. | Do your research before engaging with someone online. Check their name and their background by searching on the internet and social media sites like Facebook and LinkedIn. | ||
=== | ===Be alert for suspicious behaviour=== | ||
Be wary of a romantic interest who avoids talking on the phone, is constantly making excuses about why they can’t meet in person, or tries to isolate you from family and friends. | Be wary of a romantic interest who avoids talking on the phone, is constantly making excuses about why they can’t meet in person, or tries to isolate you from family and friends. | ||
=== | ===Protect your personal information=== | ||
Don't give out any personal information over the phone unless you initiated the call. Don't give out any personal information in an email or when you are chatting online. | |||
===Protect your money=== | |||
Never wire money unless you're absolutely certain that you're sending it to someone you know and trust. Wiring money is like sending someone cash - once it's sent, it's gone. | |||
Never wire money unless | |||
{{Scams to Avoid Navbox}} | {{Scams to Avoid Navbox}} | ||
