Temple Police Warn Of Online Romance Scams Ahead of Valentine’s Day

This year, the only thing getting "hit" by Cupid’s arrow might be your savings account.

Romance Scams

For many, Valentine’s Day is a day of flowers, but for others, it is a day of fraud. According to KCEN, the Temple Police Department has put out a warning to be on the lookout for a romance scam that targets those looking to connect with others online. Cody Close of the Temple Police Department told KCEN that oftentimes, the crimes are not reported due to the embarrassment of the victim. Last year in Texas, fraud victims saw a combined loss of  about $400,000.

Red Flags

You can avoid being scammed online if you keep an eye out for common red flags...things that just don’t seem “right”.

1.Be leery of Facebook messages from people you do not know that start with “Hey” or “Hi”. If you have no friends in common, the message is probably from a scammer.

2.The person refuses to communicate on the phone or via a video chat

3.The person asks for money. The amount usually starts out small but can soon balloon into a large amount.

The Scammer’s Playbook

Jason Meza, Senior Director of Communications at the Better Business Bureau, told KCEN that romance scams are both "crimes of emotion" and "crimes of financial fraud." The scammers take their time before going in for the kill. They begin with the creation of a fake profile which uses photos of other people. They communicate with the target for a while, but always via messages. They never communicate on the phone or via video chat. After a while, the scammer will claim to have an emergency that requires financial help. Meza says, "The dollar amount per victim is going up."

What “Not” To Do

Many of the tips to avoid scammers are common sense, but sometimes elderly Texans may need the help of family members to stay safe. The biggest red flag for elderly Texans is being approached by a much younger member of the opposite sex. Other tips to avoid being scammed:

-Never send intimate photos that can be used for blackmail purposes

-Never share financial information with anyone on social media

-Verify that you are actually talking to a real person

How To Handle a Romance Scam

There are things you can do if you believe someone is trying to scam you:

-Cease all communication with the suspected scammer

-Block the scammer across your social media

-Report the incident to the police and the Better Business Bureau

-If you sent money, cancel your credit and debit cards