Senior Online Dating Scam

It is the season of love and the season of romance scams, specifically a senior online dating scam.

Who Is It Targeting: Single seniors looking for relationships

What Is It: Variety of scams that target seniors based on romantic conversations

What Are They After: There are a variety of senior online dating scams out there right now, and they can do everything from stealing your money or identity to landing you in jail. Typically, romance scammers reach out via social media messaging sites, online dating sites and even platforms like Skype. However, the brief conversations with a stranger quickly turn romantic, and before too long, the victim is snared.

How Can You Avoid It:

• Be very wary of connecting with people you do not know
• Look for red flags, such as a job in a far-flung location or some excuse as to why they cannot connect or speak on the phone regularly
• If you are asked for money for ANY reason, it is a scam; no one you just met online will need to ask you for money, no matter how many times you have chatted
• Some of the romance scams can hook you into taking part in criminal activities like money laundering, so be careful of any “favors” you are asked to do
• Video platforms like Skype have been used for sextortion, so be very careful about engaging in adult behaviors online with someone you don’t actually know

If you think you may be a victim of identity theft or a senior online dating scam, contact the Identity Theft Resource Center for toll-free, no-cost assistance at 888.400.5530. Find more information about current scams and alerts here. For full details of this scam check out this article from WealthyRetirement.com.