Watch out, love scamming!

Frau hält Smartphone in der Hand und tippt eine Nachricht
Watch out, love scamming!
Watch out, love scamming!
Love scamming is a form of internet fraud in which fraudsters create emotional bonds with their victims in order to exploit them financially.

The perpetrators pose online as potential partners and play on their victims' feelings and expressions of trust in order to obtain money. This can be done using various methods, such as fake love letters, romantic chats, fake identities or stories of financial hardship.

We have a few tips on how you can protect yourself against love scamming:

  1. Be careful with your personal information
    Don't give out personal information too early, such as your address or bank details. Also be careful about sharing intimate photos or videos
  2. Verify the identity of the person
    Try to verify the person's identity by asking for information they have given you. Use search engines and social networks to look for clues to their authenticity. Be suspicious if the person does not allow face-to-face meetings or video calls.
  3. Be wary of financial demands
    If your online partner asks you for money or needs financial support, be extremely careful. Never give money to someone you have met online and whom you do not fully trust.
  4. Be suspicious
    Love scammers often try to create a quick and intense emotional connection. Be skeptical if your online partner says "I love you" too quickly or exerts too much emotional pressure.
  5. Melden Sie verdächtige Aktivitäten
    Wenn Sie den Verdacht haben, Opfer von Love-Scamming zu sein, melden Sie dies umgehend der Polizei und den Plattformen, auf denen Sie den Betrüger kennengelernt haben. Dadurch können Sie andere potenzielle Opfer schützen.
  6. Stay up to date
    Find out about the latest scam methods and tactics to better protect yourself. The Civilian Heroes website https://www.polizei-beratung.de/ provides information on many scams.

In the end, it is important to follow your gut feeling. If something seems suspicious or you have doubts, trust your instincts and be careful.

 

Translated with DeepL.com (API Version)
In urgent cases: Police emergency number 110