Donegal Gardaí are warning members of the public to be aware of romance fraud.
From January 2022 to the end of May, 31 cases of romance fraud have been reported to An Garda Síochána, 23 of which have been female and 8 male.
In all of these cases, except one, the victims encountered the suspect through a dating app or social media.
In total, these 31 cases reported the loss of money which, in almost every case, was transferred to accounts outside Ireland or to Bitcoin wallets.
Romance fraud is enabled via online dating sites or other social media by fraudsters who will provide the victims with well-prepared stories designed to deceive.
Victims develop online relationships with the fraudsters who use fake identities, photographs and life stories and they will eventually ask for money.
In some recent cases, Gardaí have seen these criminals targeting people with learning difficulties.
The advice from the Garda National Economic Crime Bureau to any person on a dating site or in contact with a stranger on social media is:
- Use reputable dating sites and use their messaging service. Do not move to social media or texting too quickly. Be wary of unsolicited links, approaches or suggested likes.
- Be careful about what you share on social media and online dating websites. Do not reveal your full name or home address. Protect your identity.
- Be wary of anyone asking lots of questions about you but not revealing much about themselves. They will come across as being the ideal person, like what you like, mirror your interests, want what you want.
- Watch out for snippets of conversation which are out of sync with previous chats. Fraudsters are engaging with multiple victims at the same time, following scripts prepared for them and they can get mixed up on occasions as to which victim they are talking to.
- Never send money or give your bank details to somebody you have never met, no matter how much you believe and trust them. Do not download apps like ‘AnyDesk’ at their behest or allow them to have control over your device.
- Do not send them money or pay for medical bills, purchase flights, or VISAs, pay custom fees or make any payment for them to come visit you.
- Do not invest your money in ‘opportunities’ offered by them or anyone you have only ‘met’ online. Always seek independent financial and legal advice first.
- Remember, individuals can pretend to be anyone they want to be online. You can google an image to see if it comes up on several sites or profiles.
- Never provide copies of your personal documents such as passports or driving licences.
- Never make arrangements or travel to meet them unless you are sure of their identity. Make sure you confide in someone and ensure that the person is aware you are confiding in someone else.
- Save copies of correspondence with them.
- If you think you have fallen victim, contact your bank immediately. The quicker you act, the better chance you have of recouping any lost funds.
- Please do not feel embarrassed about reporting this type of fraud to Gardaí, you are not alone.
