(KRON) – Santa Clara County is warning residents of a popular con–-romance scams. With Valentine’s Day nearing the county has provided tips on how to avoid scammers in a digital age.
Romance scams, according to Santa Clara County, occur when a fraudster creates a fake online persona to establish a romantic relationship with their target. The perpetrators of the scam exploit the victim’s emotions to gain their trust. Once the scammers believe they have received the victim’s trust they manipulate victims into sending money, sharing personal information, or participating in illegal activities without their knowledge.
Warning flags for potential victims, according to the county.
- They move quickly to express love
- Avoidance of in-person meetings
- Overly perfect profiles
- Inconsistent/over-the-top stories
- Requests for money or gifts
- Scammers commonly fabricate urgent situations to elicit money from their victims, according to Santa Clara County.
- Pressure to move off the platform
- According to the county, scammers are likely to insist on communicating via WhatsApp, email, or other platforms outside of the original meeting site.
- Isolation Tactics
- Scammers may try to isolate their victims from friends and family who might raise concerns to remain in control, said the county.
- Requests for personal information
The county advises potential victims to be skeptical, refuse financial requests and report suspicious activity.
(KRON) – Santa Clara County is warning residents of a popular con–-romance scams. With Valentine’s Day nearing the county has provided tips on how to avoid scammers in a digital age. Romance scams, according to Santa Clara County, occur when a fraudster creates a fake online persona to establish a romantic relationship with their target. […]